How to Use Patterns in Glowforge Designs (and more!)

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I love patterns and I love trying new projects with my Glowforge. When I can combine those two loves, it’s even better! Today I’m going to show you just how to use patterns in Glowforge designs created with the help of Silhouette Studio. But don’t stop reading just because you don’t own a laser cutter! Patterns can be used in a variety of ways in a multitude of projects. Ready to see what I have in store for you? Read on!

Line Color in Glowforge Designs

When creating designs for the Glowforge, it’s all about line color. It doesn’t matter what color the line(s) are, but using multiple colors in one design gives you much more flexibility in the Glowforge interface. Once the design is uploaded, a different action can be set for each individual color.

For this project, I want to use my Glowforge to create two different styles of earrings, all from one basic design. One style will be cut only and the other will use a combination of scoring and cutting.

First, let’s look at the components of the design. There are four distinct elements to this earring design:

1. Outline
2. Earwire hole
3. Inner border
4. Pattern

If each element is assigned the same line color, only one action can be specified in the Glowforge interface (“Cut” in this instance). By assigning each element a separate line color, I will be able to assign a different action to each part of the design and re-order the elements so the actions are performed in a specific order.

What You’ll Need

• Silhouette Studio Business Edition
• Basic earring shape* (I used Teardrop Earrings by Sweet Elsie, Silhouette Design ID 273510)
• Digital pattern* (see tips below)
• Glowforge
• Wood or Acrylic
• Earwire hook (My favorite are these Double J Earwires from Craft Chameleon.)

*When purchasing designs from the Silhouette Design Store to use with the Glowforge, be sure to select the SVG File Type.

Tips for Choosing a Pattern

Keep in mind that not all digital patterns will work for this project. If you plan to cut the entire earring design (as opposed to simply scoring the pattern), make sure that any sections you want to remain are anchored to the outline of the shape. Otherwise you’ll be left with a bunch of tiny pieces and only the outline of the earring will remain.

Ideally, your pattern will already be in vector form. If not, you’ll need to trace the image first in order to create a usable design.

The pattern I used in this tutorial is Chrysanthemum Lace by Jennifer Wambach, Silhouette Design Store ID 43020.

Create the Pattern Fill

Open the earring shape and the pattern in Silhouette Studio.

Right-click on the earring shape and release the compound path. Separate the earwire hole from the shape. Adjust the size of the earring shape as desired. (I made mine about 1.5 inches tall.)

Create an internal offset of the earring shape that is at least 0.125 inches. (The size is especially important for earrings made of wood. You need enough area around the earwire hole to maintain stability of the earring.)

Fill the offset shape with color and increase the transparency to approximately 50%.

Move the original shape off to the side (into the grey holding area). Make a copy of the offset.

Fill the pattern with color in order to see the details more clearly. Place the copy of the offset over the digital pattern. (Make sure the offset is in front of the pattern.) Resize the pattern to fit within the shape as desired. Try to fill as much of the shape as possible.

Select the shape and the pattern. Crop.

Look closely at the cropped pattern. Use the knife tool or point-editing to delete any areas that are too small to cut/score well. Group the remaining pieces together.

Proceed to Option 1 or 2.

Design Option 1: Cut Only

Align the earring shape, the internal offset, and the earwire hole. Make a compound path. This creates the outline of the earring.

Align the pattern and the outline. Increase the size of the pattern slightly so that the edges extend beyond the inner border. Weld.

To delete any unwanted portions:

1. Select the design and release the compound path.
2. Select and delete any unwanted portions.
3. Select the remainder of the design and make a compound path.

Save the file as an SVG.

Design Option 2: Score and Cut

Assign a separate line color to each element of the design. (No fill colors needed.)

• Color 1: Outline
• Color 2: Earwire Hole
• Color 3: Inner Border
• Color 4: Pattern

Align all four elements and group them together.

Save the file as an SVG.

Note: With this design, the scored lines of the pattern and the inner border will overlap in a few areas. The earrings I have created look fine when made this way, but if you prefer that there be no overlap, edit the points of the pattern to create open spaces in the areas that overlap with the inner border.

Using the Design with Glowforge

Open the Glowforge app in your browser. Drag and drop the SVG file into the app to upload it. Place the design on your media and set Glowforge as desired.

To score and cut, arrange the design in the following order:

1. Pattern – score
2. Inner Border – score
3. Earwire Hole – cut
4. Outline – cut

Duplicate the design elements to create a pair.

Once the earrings are cut, add an earring hook and you are done!

The Finished Product

This project provides a lot of room for creativity. Experiment with different materials and settings to get the look you want.

Scoring with the Draft setting gave these wood earrings a “pen and ink” look.

Using the High Quality setting to score created a more engraved appearance.

Acrylic is also a great choice for earrings. In hindsight, I would probably mirror the image when scoring on clear or transparent acrylic and view the design from the opposite side.

Patterns Used:

Chrysanthemum Lace, Silhouette Design Store ID 43020
Daisy Lace, Silhouette Design Store ID 47926
Garden Lace, Silhouette Design Store ID 47927
Bubbles Placemat, Silhouette Design Store ID 65811
(all by Jennifer Wambach)

Flourished Lace, Silhouette Design Store ID 30671
(by Snapdragon Snippets)

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Patterns are a great way to expand your creative possibilities, whether you use them in Glowforge projects or other designs. What are some ways you’ve used patterns? Leave a comment below or come share with me over in the Silhouette Crafters by Design Facebook group. I always love to see what you create!

Until next time,

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Click here to order from Glowforge with my referral code.

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