When you click print in the Glowforge App, your Glowforge takes measurements and the software creates a plan for your print. An error message here likely means the software had trouble creating that plan.
Design is too large or too complex
Designs with many shapes and lines, or multiple images, can sometimes fail to print. You can fix this issue by breaking your print into steps, or by simplifying your design.
Break the design into steps
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When you upload your file to the Glowforge App, each color and each image or photo becomes a separate print step. Divide your design into more steps by changing some of the lines and shapes to different colors.
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Click on any step on the left side of your workspace. In the option box that pops up, select Ignore. This will tell the app to do nothing with that object.
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Repeat this with the other steps until you have only one left. Then press Print. This will send just one shape to your printer.
- When the print finishes, leave your material in place.
- Set the step you printed to Ignore. Choose one other step and set it back to its original setting (Cut, Engrave, or Score.)
- Continue ignoring and printing until you’ve finished.
Simplify your design
You may be able to simplify the design with your design software. Inkscape and Adobe Illustrator both include this option. You can read more about that here.
If you're engraving an image, you may be able to convert part of your design into a bitmap. You can read more about that here.
If your file still doesn’t print, please contact Glowforge Support and send the following so that we can investigate:
- Your design file.
- The time and date that you tried to print (and the time zone you are in).