Best software for creating word cutouts

Hey guys! My wife wants some “wall art” to put in our living room. Probably something that just consists of a word or two. I am a total beginner at this so any help would be awesome! I’m looking for a software that I can type a word or words into using a “pretty font” and create something that I can cut out with Maslow (finally about to finish the final frame). What is everyone using in the form of software and the steps to get the file to gcode? To this point I’ve used the svg of the final frame and created the gcode in makercam but I’m open to trying something else out if it might be easier. Thanks for the help!!

If you are new and don’t want to spend money I would use Inkscape to make the words and then Makercam for the gcode.

I have allot to offer on the other side of easier :slight_smile: , but you seem experimental, so perhaps for this side of the green, you might give Carbide Create a chance. If you try, let us know how it went or goes here:
http://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/carbide-create-software/243

Tell me the word or words and I’ll make you some option in Illustrator. Then you pick what ya want/ tell me how ya want it edited and size, and I’ll make you an SVG file.

For me, the question is not just what software can make the outlines, that’s
easy, just about anything can do it. And just about anything can take the
outlines and cut them to a uniform depth.

This is good enough for a LOT of signage, and it’s easy to read.

But when you want to do fancy signage and fancy fonts, things are different.

The question is what software is out there that can create the g-code to mill
the letters cleanly when doing a fancy font…

By that I mean not just X passes cutting Y deeper each time, but software that
can adjust the depth within a pass on a given letter, so that a fancy “I” will
have the corners taper up to points using a V groove bit and moving in the Z
axis as it gets up into the corners. Or a “O” that has deep/wide sides and a
narrow top/bottom with the depth adjusting smoothly between them.

note, until we have the 3D coordinated moves working properly (did that get in
this week??) the Maslow cannot do these fancy cuts, but that’s in the works.

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Thanks for the ideas! I’m been messing around with inkscape a little and have downloaded carbide. It seems everything is going to have a bit of a learning curve. Especially when I’m basically just used to word etc. Thanks again!

this video shows the variable depth cutting I am talking about starting at about
two and a half minutes in

here’s another video showing good use of variable depth with a v-groube bit