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Design Guide: Creating Dashed and Dotted Lines

Creating dashed or dotted lines is a useful technique for designing fold lines, perforated edges, or decorative borders. In Neon Studio, you can easily transform any continuous vector path into a dashed line using Path Effects.

Step-by-Step: Applying the Dashed Stroke Effect

Follow these steps to convert a standard object (like a rectangle or a line) into a dashed path:

  1. Select your Object: Click on the object you wish to modify in the Neon Studio workspace.
  2. Access Path Effects: Navigate to the top menu and select Path > Path Effects.
  3. Add a New Effect: A panel will open on the right side of the screen. Click the plus (+) button to add a new effect.
  4. Select Dashed Stroke: In the effects selector window, scroll down until you find Dashed Stroke (Traço Tracejado) and select it.

Customizing your Dashed Line

Once the effect is added, you can fine-tune the appearance of the dashes using the following parameters in the sidebar:

  • Number of Dashes: This defines how many individual segments will make up the line. Increasing this number makes the dashes smaller and more frequent.
  • Hole Factor: This controls the spacing (the "gap") between each dash. A higher factor creates a larger distance between segments.
  • Use Segments: When enabled, the software calculates the number of dashes per individual segment of the path (e.g., each side of a square) rather than treating the entire object as a single continuous line. This helps maintain symmetry in geometric shapes.

Figure 1: Adjusting dashed stroke parameters in the Path Effects panel (Coming Soon)

Pro Tip for Folding

If you are creating a "fold line" on cardboard or paper, use a dashed line with a high Hole Factor. This tells the Neon to cut small slots, making the material easy to bend without snapping or cutting it completely through.

Need help with specific fold settings? If you are designing complex packaging, contact Neon Laser Support for advice on the best dash-to-gap ratios for different material thicknesses.