Skip to main content
All CollectionsDesign
Where did the text in my design go?
Where did the text in my design go?

How to create a design with fonts & text.

Dan Emery avatar
Written by Dan Emery
Updated over 4 years ago

If you have text in your design, you'll need to convert the fonts into paths before you save the design and upload it into your account for a quote.

Unconverted fonts will be removed from your design and will not show in the design preview.

Adobe Illustrator

Select your text and then click Type > Create Outlines from the top menu. You won't be able to edit the text once you've done this, so do it last after your spell check.

Inkscape

Select your text and then click Path > Object to Path from the top menu. You won't be able to edit the text once you've done this so do it last, after your spell check.

Fusion 360

Right click on the text > ‘Explode Text’ from the drop down menu to create lines for exporting.

Autocad

Windows users:

Use a single line font e.g an .txt font where possible.

Use the Express tools command to retain the font style in outlines. To do this:

  • Select the text you would like to explode.

  • Select Express tools > Text explodes.

You can install Express Tools from your original AutoCAD installation file (usually this plugin installation is default) or download it from Autodesk website.

Mac users:

At present only Windows users can use text in their designs. The mac version of AutoCAD does not have the functionality to covert text to paths for the laser to read.

Mac users will need to construct any text or symbols using the line tool.

CorelDraw

Select your text and then click Arrange > Convert to Curves from the top menu. You won't be able to edit the text once you've done this, so do it last after your spell check.

Affinity

To convert a shape to curves:

  1. Select the shape with either the Move or the Node Tool.

  2. Do one of the following:

  • Click Convert to Curves on the context toolbar.

  • From the Layer menu, select Convert to Curves.

The shape is now made from curves. Segments and nodes can be modified by double-clicking with the Node Tool.

Cut out text

If you want to cut out the text from your design, rather than engrave it, use a stencil font or add bridges to letters where the centers need to remain in place.

Make sure the bridges meet the minimum feature size requirements for the material you wish to use. Check the minimum feature size measurements on each material page in the materials catalog.

Did this answer your question?