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10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting

by geordie_h on April 4, 2014

Table of Contents
10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: 10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Tip #1: Preparing for cutting or engraving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: Tip # 2: The power of layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Tip #3: Wood grains and engraving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Tip #4: Overlapping lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Tip #5: Lines - Raster versus Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 6: Tip #6: Defocus the laser for thicker vector lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 7: Tip #7: Adding a vector score to the edge of type or engravings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 8: Tip #8: Hitting the target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 9: Tip #9: Engraving multiple objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 10: Tip #10: Using the Red Dot to figure out where to cut or engrave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Author:geordie_h
Mad scientist, graphic designer, mechanical drafter, sci-fi geek.

Intro: 10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting

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

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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

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.
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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Step 4: Tip #4: Overlapping lines.

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

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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Step 6: Tip #6: Defocus the laser for thicker vector lines.
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
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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Step 8: Tip #8: Hitting the target

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

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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Step 10: Tip #10: Using the Red Dot to figure out where to cut or engrave
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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http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

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Comments
30 comments Add Comment

Waldo120 says:

May 4, 2014. 2:51 PM REPLY

Where are those pre-sets for different materials? We have an Epilog laser engraver and I was trying to look up what's the best setting for burning an image
into brass (see http://www.instructables.com/id/Laser-etched-clock-with-photo/). Wound up opening the instructions and all it said was for metal to turn up
the power and turn down the speed. So I did what you see there at 100% power and 10% speed. We also made a similar plaque on Polished Aluminum and
had to do a bunch of test burns to get the image looking it's best. Knowing what's "suggested" would really save some time.

geordie_h says:

May 4, 2014. 4:43 PM REPLY

You should be able to go to the Epilog website and down load some of their suggestion for various material.
With our laser we can't do much with metal. Anodize Aluminum we can etch but its not powerful enough for most metals.

Waldo120 says:

May 6, 2014. 5:45 PM REPLY

So, I called Epilog and found out that the "pre-sets" are NOT available for the FiberMark series. Something about focus being one of the settings that
FiberMark doesn't have. What model do you have? There is however a chart in the instructions. Doesn't do a lot of detail, but gives a few metals.
By the way, regarding your laser de-focusing tip. I'm told there is a way to setup different colors to be different focal lengths. For example if some of
your part is 0.25" higher then the rest, you can make this section a red and define red as 0.25" focus length and black as 0" focus length. So you
could have focus'ed like normal, done some the vector in focus in black, and the out of focus vector in red. Don't know for sure if that would've been
useful but it's a good to know.

allaho says:

May 3, 2014. 8:12 PM REPLY

Thank you so much for the tips. I especially needed Tip #6: Defocus the laser for thicker vector lines.
Emad

AzzysDesignWorks says:

May 2, 2014. 5:23 AM REPLY

Even better than masking tape for many items is the paper based vinyl application tape. It is very easy to remove when done.

geordie_h says:

May 2, 2014. 8:40 AM REPLY

I would want to double check what vinyl tape is made of. We don't cut vinyl in our laser because it contain chlorine and produces hydrochloric acid when
it burns. Very toxic.
I don't know if vinyl tape and vinyl are the same.
But I will agree that masking tape doesn't alway stick very well to some materials.

AzzysDesignWorks says:

May 2, 2014. 11:14 AM REPLY

Application tape for vinyl, not vinyl tape. Like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Application-Transfer-GreenSt... (Just a quick google search, not affiliated)
Another plus is that it comes in much larger sizes than standard masking tape.

Ghostpilot says:

Apr 30, 2014. 11:11 PM REPLY

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 says:

May 1, 2014. 7:25 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 30, 2014. 9:30 AM REPLY

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

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

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 is crucial, especially on the Web because of the huge potential audience you
may reach.
labernache.

jktechwriter says:

Apr 30, 2014. 7:30 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 30, 2014. 1:47 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 30, 2014. 12:38 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 7:25 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 7:37 AM REPLY

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.

yogunny says:

Apr 29, 2014. 11:40 PM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 5:27 PM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 5:52 PM REPLY

There's instructions here on making one. Some day I will hire someone to do that for me, heh.

Squidyman says:

Apr 29, 2014. 6:48 PM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 6:32 PM REPLY

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.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Jlhx says:

Apr 29, 2014. 6:26 PM REPLY

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!
Nice list all-in-all. Cheers.

nwlaurie says:

Apr 29, 2014. 2:28 PM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 11:47 AM REPLY

This is all really great advice!

rimar2000 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 9:44 AM REPLY

Very useful tips, although I have no laser cutter.

zonkerharris says:

Apr 29, 2014. 9:18 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 9:03 AM REPLY

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 says:

Apr 29, 2014. 6:20 AM REPLY

Excellent - well done

rgpfx says:

Apr 29, 2014. 5:12 AM REPLY

Awesome!

jmc75 says:

Apr 28, 2014. 11:00 PM REPLY

very helpful thanks.

vicvelcro says:
Thank you.

http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Laser-Engraving-and-Cutting/

Apr 28, 2014. 12:41 AM REPLY