Have signage project, I can't be the first

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Have signage project, I can't be the first

CustomSarge
Hi, Kevin in SW Michigan here. Want to route / mill laminated plastic text signage in both 2 layer and 3 layer media.
Have a simple 3 axis 12" square bed mill.
Thinking generate image in LibreCAD - export as dxf - translate to G code - run Mach3 to the mill.

Mill works fine, but I thought it could mill fine enough geometries for PC board prototypes - NOT for me.

I can't be the first to think this is a way to do laminate signage.
Would anybody please save me a couple weeks with some guidance?
Not looking for a cookbook, been a design engineer over 40 years.
So an outline or bullet points would be Greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Kevin
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Re: Have signage project, I can't be the first

LordOfBikes
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Welcome Kevin!

First, I have no experience in signage applications. But because the answers don't bubble out, let me give some hints.

Where I see possible issues in LibreCAD is the font support. LibreCAD uses its own format and common TTF fonts have to be converted to LFF to be usable in LibreCAD. Also not all fonts are possible to convert.

When the required fonts are available in LibreCAD it should be possible I think.
I assume the text has to be exploded first, what makes each letter a polyline, which then should be recognized by the G-code generator. But the text is not editable as text anymore after exploding it.

If I would have to do this, I'd look if Inkscape is the better tool for this job. It has TTF support and is also capable of DXF export. I think there are even G-code plugins which create CNC programs directly.
I have no practical experience with this too, but I often read, that DIY CNC machines are controlled by Inkscape plugins.

Armin
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Re: Have signage project, I can't be the first

CustomSarge
Thanks for the tip to Inkscape. I vaguely 'mem hearing of it. I'm familiar with using a font, getting the whole image right then exploding it before output. I'll check it out.  Thanks again, Kevin