Graphic design for Digital Manufacturing is the process of creating and modifying images so that they can be used in manufacturing processes. Here, an image is just about anything that contains visual information, which includes everything from photographs to technical drawings created using CAD software. Digital Manufacturing refers to any process where you tell the computer what to do with the tool rather than directly operating the tool yourself. The image is how you communicate with the computer what you want done.
Across digital manufacturing processes, the steps required to go from concept to finished product have some similarities. We will go step by step through the workflow and highlight what the purpose of that step is and discuss things you may need to keep in mind when working with a specific tool or process. The flowchart below appears throughout this series and is clickable so that you can hop around the information easily!
Concept: what you want to make
Design: the image that has the specifics of what you want to make. Dimensions, colors, textures, etc, whatever the process allows you to do. Could be as simple as using a downloaded image or as complex as using a CAD software to develop a multi-part assembly. This includes any digitization or refinement you need to do.
Tool Specific Software: Most tools require a specific software in order to control and interface with them. Some of these softwares also provide design tools.
The Tool: the actual instrument or machine that does the manufacturing process.
| Laser Cutting | CNC Routing |
| Vinyl & Paper Cutting | Laser Engraving |
| Plasma Cutting | Embroidery |
| Quilting | Dye Sublimation printing |
| Direct to Garment and Direct to Film printing |