{"id":1075,"date":"2019-12-19T18:20:08","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T18:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/?p=1075"},"modified":"2025-09-16T18:25:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T18:25:42","slug":"bookmaking-with-help-from-the-trotec-vision1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/bookmaking-with-help-from-the-trotec-vision1\/","title":{"rendered":"Bookmaking with help from the Trotec Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Written by: <b>Charles Traut<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2173-1024x768.jpg\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1045\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2173-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"405\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our Trotec attachments, the Vision and Rotary Tool, are perhaps some of the most unused resources here at the AOC. Most people don\u2019t know we even have them. So I\u2019ve always looked for projects I could utilize them in &#8211; sophomore year I engraved a bunch of glass spell jars for an installation, and now that I\u2019m enrolled in a bookmaking course, I\u2019m finding more opportunities to involve the Vision in my work at SAIC.<\/p>\n<p>This book started with a mock-up I had created from a simple one-sheet folded accordion &#8211; it was there I made the drawings and decided on layout, which eventually morphed into the single-sided 8 page accordion you see here. After scanning those drawings at the AOC, I moved them into Illustrator, vectorized them, and decided on what the silhouette and dimensions of the final book would be. This file acted as my sort of \u2018master template\u2019 &#8211; it\u2019s the matrix that I would print out and eventually give to the Vision to cut.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2020\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-04-at-3.51.37-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1047\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-04-at-3.51.37-PM-e1575309086662.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"326\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2020\/01\/shroom-snip.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1048\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/shroom-snip-e1575309669931.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"279\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The book was printed out on Columbus\u2019 24 Inch Watercolor printer at 24&#215;24\u201d. Each sheet fit 5 books with accompanying registration points. I found that modifying our 1\/16th\u201d Matboard\/Chipboard setting worked wonderfully for this project &#8211; it resulted in clean cuts with minimal burn.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2174-e1575390020305.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1052\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2174-e1575390020305.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"302\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Since this was a complex cut, and I didn\u2019t have room (or money) to spare for an edition of 15, I strategically placed 1\/4th\u201d registration dots at each curve and interior where I thought the Vision may need it. The lateral dots were to keep the cut straight along the paper, while the interiors made sure that each inner cut was placed exactly. Unfortunately, this meant the Trotec took a while to find and register each dot.<\/p>\n<p>However, the accuracy and speed of the laser cutter more than made up for it. I installed the vacuum bed for this project, and ensured the material was as flat as possible. Then I popped the camera onto the head, and started everything up.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2083-e1575392313467.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1055\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2083-e1575392313467.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"309\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Monitoring the cut as it ran was extra important here &#8211; even though the vacuum bed was installed and the ventilation half-closed, I needed to ensure nothing was going to fly around and potentially impede the laser. This meant closely watching each cut, checking for burning, and occasionally pausing to re-secure the paper with tape as it got closer and closer to the final book on each sheet. Since the material had a natural bend to it (as commercial paper often does &#8211; grain matters!) I had to make sure the focus didn\u2019t change as it cut.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2090-1-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <\/a><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2094-e1575318689170.jpg\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1057\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2094-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After the job had ran and I collected my cut pieces, all that was left was to print on the front (the woodblock was carved from MDF that I had laser cut to fit), and fold accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in using the Vision for a project at the AOC, come in and talk to us, and take a look at our Vision set-up guide here: <a href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/01\/Trotec-Vision.pdf\">http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/01\/Trotec-Vision.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1110\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2093-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><a class=\"single cboxElement\" href=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175.jpg\"> \u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1111\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2019\/12\/IMG_2175-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Charles Traut<\/p>\n<p>AOC Lab Specialist<\/p>\n<p>instagram @thesorou<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charles Traut explores an under utilized tool at the Advanced Output Center, the Trotec Vision. This camera attachment allows for automatic alignment of Illustrator files to printed media for perfect registration and cutting. Charles takes you through his project and his experience with the tool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":1056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[15,11,12,14,13],"class_list":["post-1075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-laser-cutter","tag-bookmaking","tag-laser-cutter","tag-trotec","tag-trotec-vacuum-table","tag-trotec-vision"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1075"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2344,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1075\/revisions\/2344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/aoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}