10 Tips and Tricks For Laser Engraving and Cutting

Hello, I'm Geordie and I currently work at ADX Portland
(http://www.adxportland.com) running the Laser Cutter and Engraver. My job is

to take in customer's projects, set them up and run them on the laser. As a
result, I've learned a few tricks for how to set up jobs to get the best results, and
in this Instructable I'm going to pass them on to you.
The laser I work with is an Epilog Helix and the program we use to run it is Corel
Draw. I'm going to try to write in general terms so you can use what ever laser
and program you want to.
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10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving...
1 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Note: For several of these tips it is important to understand the difference
between Vector files and Bitmap files. Vector files are mathematical formulas
defining lines, circles etc. These are created by programs like Adobe Illustrator,
Inkscape, AutoCAD and Corel. Bitmap files are collections of individual pixels.
This included digital photos, Adobe Photoshop files, JPGs etc. With the Epilog
laser (and I'm assuming other ones) you can only cut with a vector file. You can
engrave with either vector or bitmap files. For several of my tricks you need your
file to be a vector file for the trick to work.
Step 1: Tip #1: Preparing for cutting or engraving
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2 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Before we get to tips for cutting and engraving, lets start with some good ideas
for preparing to cut or engrave.
Masking: If your going to engrave on something be aware that the smoke for
the the engraving can stain the edges of the engraved surface. If you don't want
that cover the surface with masking tape to protect it. The masking tape won't
decrease the power of the laser much (bump up the power a bit if you feel it
needs it) and the masking tape will protect the material around the engraving
from the smoke. After running the engraving just peal the masking tape off. I use
this a lot if I'm engraving on leather.
Presets: Your laser should have some suggested settings for cutting or
engraving different materials and different thicknesses. You should also be able
to load these settings into your computer or laser and save them as presets. Be
sure to name them something that makes sense so you can easily find them
That way the next time you need to engrave on leather or cut 1/8" thick acrylic,
you can just find the preset for that material.
Test cuts: Even when I have a preset for cutting a material I usually try to run a
test cut in it before I run the full job. Nothing is worse than taking the material out
of the laser and finding that it didn't cut all the way through. I create a small
circle or square (about 1/4" or 1/2" wide) and cut out in corner or on some scrap
material. Then I can see if I need to increase or decrease the power before I run
the final cut.
Step 2: Tip # 2: The power of layers
Several of the tricks I'm going to talk about require being able to print only part of
a file or design at a time. The easiest way to do this it to put different parts of
you design on different layers in a file. Most graphics programs allow you to
create different layers and then to turn them off and on. While you can put
everything on one layer here are some advantages to using layers.
1. Controlling the order of cuts. Your laser should have some options to
determine the order in which lines are cut but one way for you to control that is
to put different cuts on separate layers on to turn the print of each layer on and
off in the order you want.
2. Have multiple parts and designs in one file. Rather than having a separate
files for each design, just put them all in one file and put them individual layers.
Then just print the layers one at a time. Helps keep things organized.
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3 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
3. Creating guides. You might need to create some guides for laying out out your
design or maybe you'll need a target to place an object in. If you don't want
these to print put them on their own layer and turn off the printing of that layer.
Step 3: Tip #3: Wood grains and engraving
So you've designed a logo or a image and you want to burn it onto a piece of
wood. Wood is a great material for engraving but you need to be aware of the
difference between engraving on a solid piece of wood versus a composite
material like plywood or MDF. Unlike a manufactured material, natural wood is
not uniform. The grains in the wood represent different types of growth in the
wood (winter and summer) and they will each burn differently. Usually the darker
grains are harder and the lighter parts between them is softer. As you can see
from the example photo you end up with a zebra pattern in the engraving. If
having a uniform look to the engraving is important to you, you'll probably get
better results from a good plywood where the top layer is more uniform.
One more thing to be aware of is materials with a thin veneer of nice wood on
top. The engraving will often burn through the thin veneer exposing what under
neath. Make sure what's beneath the veneer looks good and that you burn all
the way through the veneer so you don't have a mix of veneer and under-
surface.
Step 4: Tip #4: Overlapping lines.
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4 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Often when cutting out multiple parts at once, the temptation is but them up
against each other so similar lines overlap. This is a good idea, but there is a
good way to do this and a bad way.
Let's say for example you have a bunch of squares to cut out. If you draw 2
squares (4 sides each) and then but them up against each other it will look like
there is only one line between them. The trouble with this is that although it
looks like there in only one line on the overlapping side, the computer still sees
2. The end result is that lines will get cut one on top of the other. This can lead to
that edge getting burnt, rather than a clean cut. It also waste time on a
unnecessary cut.
The way to fix this is to eliminate one of the doubled up lines. Draw one of the
squares with 3 sides and but it up against the one with 4 sides.
Step 5: Tip #5: Lines - Raster versus Vector
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5 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
The main difference between a raster engraving and a vector cut, is that for the
engraving the laser head travels left to right across the print area and then
moves down a hair and repeats until it has engraved the image. With the vector
cut the laser just traces the lines of the cut. As a result raster engraving take a
lot longer than vector cuts.
So what if you have art work, like a Celtic knot, or a design, like a map, that is
mostly lines. You can run it as a raster engraving. The advantage of this is that
you can set you line thickness to what ever you want and have different lines be
different thickness. The disadvantage is it is going to take a lot longer to
engrave.
If your design or art work is a vector file (this doesn't work with bitmap images)
there is a faster way to create your lines. Set your file up as a vector cut but turn
the power down and increase the speed. For example to cut through 1/8"
plywood I would have the laser power at 100% and the speed at 20%, but to just
score the wood I would set the power to 30% and the speed to 95%. So rather
than cutting through the material the laser just burns a thin line into it. The
advantage is it is going to be much faster than engraving. The disadvantage is
that the line is going to be very thin and you can't vary the thickness of it.
See my next tip for a way to get thicker vector lines.
Step 6: Tip #6: Defocus the laser for thicker vector lines.
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6 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
In my last tip I covered how to use the vector setting to just score lines into
material to produce line art work or designs. But the disadvantage of this trick is
that the line is very thin. But there is a way to tick the laser and get thicker lines.
The laser has a very tight focus so if lower your material a bit the laser will lose
focus and spread out. The way I do this is to put a small piece of wood that is
about 3/8" thick on top of the material I an using and have the laser focus on the
wood. Then I run the laser on a vector setting (with a lower power setting and a
higher speed). The result is a much thicker line than if the laser was correctly
focused.
There are 2 disadvantages to be aware of with this technique. One is the line is
a little soft and not as crisp as a raster engraving. Second, in the corners of the
lines the laser pauses just a little as it changes direction so the corners get
burned a little deeper. The corners look like they have little dots in them.
I discovered this trick when a client wanted a large order of wooden coasters
with a Celtic knot designed burned into them, but they had a limited budget. To
do the art work as an engraving would have taken to long and cost too much
(about 5 to 7 minutes each). But by doing the art work as a defocused vector
score, I cut the time to about a minute each and meet the budget.
Step 7: Tip #7: Adding a vector score to the edge of type or
engravings
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7 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Normally you should get nice edges to any engraving your laser makes (if not
check your lens and focus). But if you want to give the edges of your engraving
a little extra sharpness here's a good trick. Add a light vector score to the edge
of the engraving.
Once again you will need to have your image as a vector file. Select your image
and add a thin stroke to the edge. When you set up the laser set the stroke for a
vector cut but turn the power down and increase the speed so it burns but
doesn't cut through the edge. After the laser does the engraving it will come
back and burn a thin line around the very edge.
This is a great effect for type.
Step 8: Tip #8: Hitting the target
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8 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Some times you need to hit a target area that is not a the lasers origin. For
example a piece of scrap plastic that you've already cut several shapes out of,
but there is enough room between some of the old cuts to do a new cut out.
How can you accurately get your new cut out into the left over space?
First measure the target area and get its rough dimensions. Make sure there is
enough room for what you want to cut out. Then place the scarp material in the
laser and measure down and across from the laser's origin to the target area.
For example a 1" by 2" rectangle located 2.5" down from the top and 1.75" over
from the left edge. Then in you file use guides to mark out the target area and
position in the distance from the origin as the area on the scrap material. Place
your design or cut out in the target area. Make sure your guides won't print out
and run the file. If you've measured everything correctly your cut out should be
in the target area.
Step 9: Tip #9: Engraving multiple objects
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9 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
Lets say you have a bunch of wooded coasters that you want to engrave your
logo on. You could put them one at a time at the origin of the laser and engrave
them one by one. But wouldn't it be nicer to layout several at once and have the
laser engrave them all?
The trick is to create a grid that you can lay the pieces out on and accurately
have the laser engrave on them. Create a new vector file the size of your laser
bed. Then measure one of your shapes/items. If you can get its exact shape
great, but if not just figure out a nice geometrical shape, like a circle or square,
that it will fit snugly into. This will be your target shape. Create the target and
position your design (engraving or cut) in the target. Now copy both the target
and your design and paste as many copies as you can fit in the space of your
laser bed.
Tip : Leave a little space between the targets so you can set them down without
bumping the ones around them.
Before you print the file, move the targets to one layer and your design to
another layer. Then turn off the printing for the layer with your design on it.
Cut a piece of cardboard to the size of your laser bed and put it in the laser. Now
make sure just the layer with targets is set to print. Engrave, score or cut the
target shapes into the card board. This creates a grid on the cardboard that
matches the one in the file. Now place the items you are going to engrave on the
targets marked on the cardboard. Don't forget to refocus the laser on the tops of
what you are engraving on. Now you can turn off the printing of the target layer
and turn on the printing of the design layer.
As long as you don't move the cardboard you can just keep laying out new parts,
hitting engrave and repeating until you have all your parts done.
Step 10: Tip #10: Using the Red Dot to figure out where to cut
or engrave
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10 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
The laser I use has the option to turn on a laser pointer that projects a red dot
where the cutting/engraving laser will fire. This is helpful for figuring out where
the laser will cut before you run your job on your material. Simply turn off the
power to the laser and turn on the red dot. Then run the file and watch where the
red dot goes.
One thing to be aware of is this works well with vector lines, where the laser/red
dot traces the lines, but not so well with engravings where the laser pass back
and for over the whole area of the engraving. If I need to use the red dot to
figure out where an engraving will end up, what I often do is to draw a vector
square or circle around the engraving and then just having the red dot trace the
square. Or draw horizontal and vertical center lines.
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11 of 16 5/2/2014 11:49 AM
We have a be nice comment policy.
Please be positive and constructive.
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Ghostpilot (/member/Ghostpilot/)
The masking technique is especially usefull when engraving on glass surfaces.
The laser I use have a 4th axis for engraving round objects, mainly used to
engrave drinking glasses. If I maske the glass area to be engraved with a wet
peice of wiping paper just before engraving, the edges won't be as sharp and the
engraved image will look much more "in focus". The paper shouldn't be dripping
wet, just moist enough to stick to the glass surface.
geordie_h (/member/geordie_h/) (author) Ghostpilot
Cool technique.
We have a rotating unit for our
laser but since the object just
rests on it it tend to slip or not
rotate evenly.
But I do engrave on flat pieces
of glass so I will give your tip a
try.
Thanks
labernache (/member/labernache/)
These tips are indeed very useful, especially those that differentiate between
raster (bitmapped) and vector-based images. I have done quite a bit of vector
based image work in the last 30 years of CAD/CAM engineering, primarily for the
creation of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs, but also for mechanical
engineering works. Knowing these types of labour saving utilities is invaluable for
streamlining and design for manufacturability. All of this translates to saving you or
your company quite a bit of money. Thank you for passing on your own
experientially gained knowledge in a very concise set of observations and
guidelines. My only concern is that, though your composition is nicely phrased,
you appear to have made the same error many instructable authors have made in
failing to proof
-read your contribution prior to submitting the material for publication.
I don't want to come across too harshly, but spell-checking is not enough and
sometimes adds to the problem. Proof-reading from top to bottom prior to
submitting your masterpiece will in most cases catch all those "gotchas" and leave
your audience with not only the clear and concise tutorial you intended, but will
also ensure that the first purpose of your work: communication, is well served.
Despite the prevalence of errors, this Instructable did convey a wealth of
information in an interesting and engrossing way. Next time, just take a couple of
minutes to proof-read your work. I think it is deserving of the extra effort, don't you
agree?
By the way, I favorited your excellent contribution. Had you proofed your work, I
would have also voted for you.
Thanks for the interesting read.
Cheers,
Labernache
By the way, I did proof my work, and may still have introduced errors. But this step
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is crucial, especially on the Web because of the huge potential audience you may
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labernache.
jktechwriter (/member/jktechwriter/)
Man, those are some outstanding tips, including the example photos. Thanks
for sharing this with us novice laser cutter users... I'm going to begin
experimenting with many of these ideas.
nwlaurie (/member/nwlaurie/)
Concerning the price of lasers: my chinese K40 (35 watts and good for thin ply,
acrylic up to 5mm and, of course, lighter materials plus engraving almost anything
except metal) cost m a tad under 400 on FleaBay. I spend about the same again
with an American firm called LightObject for more sophisticated electronics. For
well under 1000 I now have a machine that can earn its keep doing light cutting
and engraving work.
It'll probably be even cheaper in a year or two!
David Drage (/member/David+Drage/)
I have been running a laser cutter for a few years, and I really wish I had had this
guide when I started out. These are all good tips and worth a read if you are new
to laser cutting!
yogunny (/member/yogunny/)
Some of the best tips Ive seen. Very well written. Its too bad that lasers, powerful
enough to do a myriad of work, are so expensive and beyond the reach of most
woodworkers (we use two in our shop). But things change and prices drop. Id
recommend readers keep this article for future use when the money starts flowing
and you can afford a laser. :-) Sorry, dont mean to rain on your parade Geordie in
re the cost of lasers - yours is an uber fantastic presentation. I give you six out of
five stars!! :-)
geordie_h (/member/geordie_h/) (author) yogunny
I agree that its to bad that lasers
are out of the price range of most
people. I know there are some
Maker spaces where people can
rent time on them and at ADX
where I work we offer the laser as
a service for people to either rent
or for us to run jobs for them.
I tried to write these tips to help
people who where renting time or
paying for someone else to run
their project for them. Hopefully
this will help people lower their
costs and get better results.
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yogunny (/member/yogunny/) geordie_h
Ill up that to seven out of five stars - didnt think of Maker spaces - need to
check that out. Again, mega kudos for a fine ible.
Squidyman (/member/Squidyman/)
Do you know if it is possible to either buy or make a laser engraver for a lot less
money than when I do a quick google search for one? I can think of a million uses
for one but don't have a million $$$ lol :P
lauralbaby (/member/lauralbaby/) Squidyman
There's instructions here on making
one. Some day I will hire someone to
do that for me, heh.
Squidyman (/member/Squidyman/) lauralbaby
Okay awesome JIhx and lauralbaby!
From what you said, it mostly looks
fairly simple. That does sound right
about the laser. I once built a 3d laser
scanner and made the mistake of
buying a low quality laser on Ebay.
Lesson learned there. What laser
diode do you recommend and where
would I get "precision" mirror and
lenses to focus?
Thanks :D
Jlhx (/member/Jlhx/) Squidyman
From replacing parts on the Epilog, I know most of the items comprising
the units are standard motors and power supplies used in many other
industries, mainly the configuration is custom, and the housing. The DC
power supplies inside are the same I use for LED lighting. The X-Y motors
would be easy enough to control with a modification of a 3D printer kit.
I think the most difficult (and costly) part is in the laser it self. These units
use a back mounted laser with precision mirrors and lens to focus the
beam. This is the hard part to make at a home level.
Jlhx (/member/Jlhx/)
Nice list. We have a Fibremark laser at my Office, also from epilog, for engraving
on metal. Some items don't apply as the UV laser acts a little different than the IR
laser here, but it's nice to see that the few that do have been things I have been
doing as well for the last year. Good stuff.
These are expensive industrial Machines, and like earlier posted, it's far outside
the range of the average home user. The Fibremark is even more expensive,
about 3 times the price of the IR series!
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Nice list all-in-all. Cheers.
nwlaurie (/member/nwlaurie/)
Great stuff! I have just bought (and upgraded the electronics of (thanks
LightObject)) a cheap chinese K40 40-watt laser engraver/cutter and have been
learning these tricks the hard way...
Really useful and much appreciated.
More would be welcomed!
quinn (/member/quinn/)
This is all really great advice!
rimar2000 (/member/rimar2000/)
Very useful tips, although I have no laser cutter.
zonkerharris (/member/zonkerharris/)
Hi Geordie! (See you again at Maker Faire Bay Area?)
On the epilogues, when working with scrap, I often release the X/Y coords, and
use the visible laser to put the red dot in the upper-left corner of where I want to
place my design (as in your two rectangles above), and then "Set Home". I've
learned a few other neat tricks in this series. Thanks!
jhall30 (/member/jhall30/)
I love using jigs, but when using raster engraving, all of those copies can take a
long time. Here's a tip to make it take less time: color mapping. Set all raster
objects in a vertical line to the same RGB color, and make each column a different
RGB color. This reduces the "empty" horizontal (x-axis) raster movement, and will
save time when you have a few unconnected columns to engrave. When sending
your file to the cutter, use the color mapping pane in the control panel to set the
settings for each color (they'll most likely be the same if you're using this to speed
up a job), and make sure that color mapping is turned on. Everything that is not
mapped will use the default settings on the main pane of the control panel.
This works because the laser will process each color individually, and complete
one color before moving on to another.
nearlygreen (/member/nearlygreen/)
Excellent - well done
rgpfx (/member/rgpfx/)
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Awesome!
jmc75 (/member/jmc75/)
very helpful thanks.
vicvelcro (/member/vicvelcro/)
Thank you.
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10 Tips and Tricks For Laser Engraving and Cutting

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10 Tips and Tricks For Laser Engraving and Cutting

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Hello, I'm Geordie and I currently work at ADX Portland

(http://www.adxportland.com) running the Laser Cutter and Engraver. My job is

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