Fab-in-a-Box Botanical Press: Exploration

Setup / Pre-Preparation:

Organize materials into modular kits that include bolts and blank material sheets for laser cutting. Ensure learners have access to the parametric xDesign file with editable constraints for outer perimeter shape, bolt hole count, and placement. If learners will be designing their own press shapes, provide a maximum bounding box size and material thickness. Include a short guide on using pattern tools (e.g., circular or linear patterns) to distribute bolt holes evenly around the perimeter. Prepare a shared folder or naming convention for learners to save their files for batch cutting. If using a laser cutter, demonstrate how to nest multiple press designs efficiently on a single sheet. Print optional sketch templates for learners to plan their designs before moving into CAD.

Welcome:

Welcome learners and introduce today’s activity: customizing a botanical press using parametric design in xDesign. Explain that parametric design allows them to change values, like the number of bolt holes or the shape of the press, and have the model update automatically. This is a great opportunity to blend creativity with precision. Remind learners that botanical presses are used to preserve plants for both scientific and artistic purposes. Show a few examples of presses with different shapes and bolt configurations, and ask how changing the number or position of bolts might affect how evenly the press applies pressure.

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: Stowing 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: This tool is 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: This is 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.

Native Species: Plants that naturally occur in a specific region or ecosystem

Invasive Species: Non-native plants that spread rapidly and can harm local ecosystems

Parametric Model: A model built with adjustable parameters so it can be easily customized

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.).

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?

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

For xDesign Steps Click Here

xDesign steps can also be found:

In xDesign under Content

Design (hand-drawn): Optional for engraved designs on press

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 with 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:

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 file 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 in 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).

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 to be cut. (You may want to place this on a separate layer for easy reference.)

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

Design (digital – XCS)

You can either work from the “shapes” library, or import SVGs and other images from the internet. (Make sure you have the appropriate permissions to use these.)

Resize & position design:

Select your design. Resize using the text boxes under “size,” making sure it will fit on your finished face plate.

Laser Cut Face Plates

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

Open xTool’s XCS software.

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 facilitator 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 holes are perfectly calibrated for the bolts. If you resize outside of your CAD environment, the holes will also change.

Configure cut settings:

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

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 if not (adjusting settings as necessary).

Remove workpieces and scrap stock from 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 secure the velcro straps or 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 wing nuts, 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—as they might be found in nature. Show both sides of the leaves; characteristic coloring or markings might only be identifiable on one side. (For plants 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: Facilitators may take learners on a nature walk, asking 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): Try starting 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 botanical presses 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 the ability to produce professional-quality work.

Environmental Activism: Environmental activists can use botanical presses to preserve plant specimens for education 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 Education: 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 the 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.