Fab-in-a-Box Botanical Press

Setup / Pre-Preparation:

Pre-sort materials into kits for each learner.

For one-off workshops or younger learners, consider pre-printing wingnut caps.

If time is limited, consider pre-cutting cardboard and paper layers. (This can be done on the laser cutter; files are provided if using our template face plates.)

If learners will be hand-drawing their decorative designs, print a worksheet (provided) for each of them. Ask them to constrain their designs to the dedicated template boxes provided. These show the outer perimeter of the face plates and the placement of the bolt holes.

Prep files or constraints as needed: If using the templates supplied, make sure each learner is assigned a different numbered file. If learners will be designing their own press shapes, give them a maximum size to work within.

Welcome:

Greet the students and introduce the lesson topic: designing and fabricating a custom botanical press using CAD software and a laser cutter. Briefly explain what CAD software is and its importance in design and manufacturing. Show a sample botanical press to spark interest and creativity.

Context:

Follow the one-in-twenty rule: if there are 20 of a specific flower in bloom, it’s generally okay to take one—if it’s a species that’s not endangered or protected.

Science tip: Stow your drying quickly helps preserve color.

Environmental scientists and botanists use botanical presses to preserve plant specimens for research, helping to document and study biodiversity. This process is crucial for identifying plant species, understanding ecosystems, and monitoring environmental changes.

Artists and designers can use botanical presses to create unique, nature-inspired art pieces, blending scientific precision with creative expression. This skill set is also valuable in educational settings, where biology educators use preserved plant specimens to teach students about plant anatomy and ecology.

Key terms:

Botanical Press: A tool used to flatten and preserve plant specimens, such as leaves and flowers. It typically consists of two rigid plates that are tightened together with bolts, applying even pressure to the plant material.

Preservation: The process of maintaining the condition of plant specimens over time. In the context of a botanical press, preservation involves drying and flattening plants to keep their shape and color for scientific study or artistic use.

Ideate:

Make a list of design ideas for your top plate. Consider text (typography, calligraphy, quotes, poetry, song lyrics) and graphics (botanical imagery, brand logos, etc.) If you’re designing your own plates from scratch, you can get creative with their outer shape; if you’re using our pre-supplied files, you will be working with a square with rounded corners.

Remember to design around the hole in each corner for the bolts that will hold your press together (or for the strips that will be covered by velcro straps).

Will you decorate just the top plate, or the bottom too?

Facilitation note: It’s possible to brand or date the bottom plate, or engrave students names/signatures for added personalization.

xDesign Steps

Click OPEN on the xDesign landing page

Click the “Minimize” icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Search results page

— the results will be repositioned to the right-hand side of your screen so you can see things alongside your xDesign session

[1] Type “Lesson6” in the Search field, [2] press Enter on the keyboard, then [3] click on the blue header bar (to dismiss the Search History panel)

— the Search results will update to show you the Botanical Press template

[1] Drag the template into your xDesign session and then [2] click “Cancel” in the lower right-hand corner of the Search results panel

Click SAVE AS… in the dialog that appears

[1] Type a new name for the component (perhaps add your initials) and then [2] click SAVE

Double-click the “NumberOfPetals” parameter in the Design Manager

[1] Enter a number from 4 to 25 in the “Value” field, [2] Press “Apply” to update the model, [3] Click the OK checkmark to close the dialog

Experiment with a different number of bolts and a different diameter by double-clicking the other parameters and changing their values. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The “FlowerDiameter” value can be from 25mm to 300mm

The “NumberOfBolts” value can be 3, 4, 5, or 6

The bolt spacing is automatically controlled by an equation that figures out where to place the holes. Depending on the combination of petals and bolts you’ve chosen, the placement of the holes might not match your expectations. In this case, consider a different number bolts or petals

Click “Save” on the Action Bar to save your botanical press

Design (hand-drawn):

Start by sketching your design. Less is more here; you don’t need delicate detail. Once you’re happy with your sketch, trace over it black marker and color in anywhere you want to be engraved. Make sure to erase any stray pencil marks.

Scan your final design or snap a quick photo from directly above it. (Cell phone cameras work fine for this!)

Send the file to your computer. (USB, email, or airdrop are all fine options.)

Open laser cutter software: xTool’s free Creative Space (XCS software)

Import image: click on “image” in the upper lefthand corner to upload your design. (This works best with an SVG, but you can use any image you want, including jpg or png.) Note: If your image is too large, select “yes, scale to fit on canvas.” We’ll be cropping and resizing anyway.

Crop away unneeded area:

Click “edit image.”

Click “crop” and select the area you want to keep. You can adjust the box after you place it, so don’t worry about being too precise to start with. When you’re satisfied, click the green checkmark at the bottom of the screen.

Click “save.”

Convert to black-and-white:

You need to do this even if your image already appears black-and-white. (Even if you used black marker on a white background, there is likely to be some residual color from the scanning process.)

Select “black-and-white” from the bitmap image menu.

Adjust the sharpness as desired, and slide the “greyscale” slider all the way to the right (the maximum setting).

Resize & position design:

If using template file: Select your design. Resize using the text boxes under “size,” making sure it will fit on your finished face plate. Note: There is a small, clickable lock icon between the W and H text boxes. To preserve your height-to-width ratio and avoid distorting your image, make sure this is locked. Conversely, to intentionally distort the image, click the icon to unlock it.

If designing perimeter shape & adding holes for face plate.

Add a bounding box:

Options #1: Outline using a shape. Click “shape.” Under “basic shape,” select the shape you want for your stamp face. This can be any shape you want; however, to minimize the time it will take to engrave, we want to make it as tight as possible to the outline of your design.

Option #2: Draw your own outline. Select “vector” and draw lines to create a perimeter around your design, making sure your last point lands on your first.

Add holes:

You need to add 3-4 holes evenly spaced around the perimeter of your face plate in order to achieve even pressure.

Use the “shapes” menu, select a circle.

Resize the circle to the appropriate diameter for your bolts. (Note: make sure it is slightly larger than the bolt itself–you want a tiny bit of wiggle room so its easy to insert them through multiple layers.)

Position this where you would like one of your holes; this should be somewhere where it will not impede your ability to lay out your botanicals. (Ideally, in a corner). You may wish to consider using the “array” function to achieve perfect spacing for your holes, if your design is a regular, symmetrical shape.

Configure design elements:

Select design elements to be engraved.

In the “Object setting” menu, select “engrave.”

Your image should now look white against a black background. Everything black will be engraved; everything white will stay raised.

Select outer perimeter and holes to be cut. (You may want to place this on a separate layer for easy reference.)

In the “Object setting” menu, select “cut.”

Laser Cut Face Plates

Turn on the laser cutter and connect it to your computer via USB.

Open xTool’s XCS software (download here).

Select “connect device” in the upper righthand corner..

Choose your laser cutter from the pop-up menu.

Import design files (if prepared in anything other than XCS, or if teacher prepping for laser cutting):

Click the file folder icon in the upper lefthand corner. From the dropdown menu, select “import image.” Choose your file.

Select the circular handle to rotate your design as needed to fit onto your stock.

Note: do not resize within XCS! Remember: your design is parametric, and the slots are perfectly calibrated for the width of your stock material. If you resize outside of your CAD environment, the slots will also change.

Configure cut settings (if prepared in anything other than XCS, or if teacher prepping for laser cutting).

Note: the machine will automatically score and engrave before it cuts, and cut inside lines before outside lines.

For laser-friendly stamp rubber, select “laser engraved rubber mat” from the dropdown menu.

Prepare laser cutter:

Open laser cutter lid and place stock onto honeycomb.

Manually drag laser head over center of stock.

Close lid.

Click “auto focus” and wait for machine to focus.

Open lid. Manually drag laser head to top left corner of desired cutting area.

To check framing, click “framing” in XCS and then press the button on the machine. The laser head will frame the area to be cut. If it does not fit on the stock or overlaps a previous cut, adjust the starting position as needed.

Run the job:

Click “process” in XCS, followed by the button on the machine.

Remove pieces:

Check to make sure all pieces cut through, and rerun (adjusting settings as necessary) if not.

Remove workpieces and scrap stock from machine bed.

Close lid.

Once the cutting is complete, carefully remove the laser-cut components from the cutting bed.

Assembling & Using Your Press

Assemble your flower press by threading a washer onto each of your bolts, and inserting these through the holes in the bottom plate. Place a cardboard layer on the bottom plate, followed by a sheet of paper.

Arrange your flowers or foliage, ensuring they are spaced evenly and not overlapping. (Multiple specimens can be pressed at once if they’re of similar thickness.) Add another layer of paper on top of the flowers, followed by another layer of cardboard. You can repeat this process until all of your flowers are sandwiched between layers, or you near the end of your bolts.

Once your flowers are arranged, tighten the bolts (or velcro straps, or secure the rubber bands in place) on the flower press to apply even pressure across the face plates.

Let the flowers dry for approximately two weeks. (Exact drying time will depend on the thickness of the specimens, the ambient temperature and humidity, and your desired level of drying.) After two weeks, remove the wingnuts, washers and top plate. Then remove your cardboard and paper, layer by layer, to reveal the pressed botanicals between them. Use tweezers to remove these.

Discussion questions:

Why do scientists collect objects from nature?

What could we learn from a plant collection?

What information should botanists include on an herbarium label? Why?

If you were to start a natural history collection, what would you collect? Why?

Optional Tie-ins:

Make an herbarium: Natural history museums catalog different species of flora in collections called herbariums. To create your own herbarium of local native or invasive flora, mount dried flora to cardboard or sheets of cardstock. Traditionally, these would have been sewn in place.

Arrange specimens as naturally as possible (in a way similar to how they might be found in nature)

Show both sides of the leaves; characteristic coloring or markings might only be identifiable on one side. (For things with fronds, bend one backward.)

Add minimalistic identifying information: the plant’s scientific name, the date it was collected, and where it was found.

Montessori: Take learners on a nature walk and ask them to identify and pick local flora. Give them a limit on the number they can choose, and emphasize the importance of leaving sensitive or endangered species untouched. (Review these together before setting out.)

Science (biology): Can start the lesson with a dissection. Fold the front petals of a flower down before pressing it to expose the pistils and stamen hiding in its center. Once it’s dry, use glue or pins to mount it to cardboard and create an anatomical diagram labeling its parts.

History: Discuss how indigenous peoples used dried plants for medicinal purposes and to create colorful dyes.

Art & self-reflection: Glue your pressed botanicals down to make a collage-style self-portrait.

Workshops and at-home: Thrifted picture frames can be a great way to display pressed botanicals! Just sandwich them between the back plate and front glass. (No glass? Laser cut a piece of clear acrylic to size!).

Career Connections:

Learning to design and fabricate a botanical press using CAD software and a laser cutter opens up a variety of exciting career paths:

Graphic Design: Graphic designers can use CAD software to create intricate and precise designs for various projects. The skills learned in this lesson can be applied to creating visually appealing and functional tools, enhancing their ability to produce professional-quality work.

Environmental Activist: Environmental activists can use botanical presses to preserve plant specimens for educational and advocacy purposes. Understanding how to design and create these tools can help in documenting and promoting the conservation of plant species and ecosystems.

Botany: Botanists study plants and their environments. The ability to design and fabricate custom botanical presses allows them to preserve plant specimens for research and study, aiding in the identification and classification of plant species.

Biology Educator: Biology educators can use botanical presses as teaching tools to help students learn about plant anatomy and preservation techniques. Designing and creating these presses can enhance their curriculum and provide hands-on learning experiences for students.

These career connections highlight the versatility and applicability of the skills learned in this lesson, showing how they can be valuable in various professional fields.