In addition, you should always apply higher laser power when engraving hard wood. Usually, the lighter areas will come out lighter and the dark areas will be darker.Īs a rule of thumb, unless the desired look of your design is kind of zebra pattern, you will be better off using plywood that has a uniform surface. These differences also translate into different laser engraved surfaces. When cut into sheets, the latter reveals grains in alternating shades that stem from different kinds of growth during the seasons. In terms of laser engraving, plywood has an additional advantage over natural wood. All these properties have made plywood a staple for builders, designers, artists, and craftsmen. As a result, plywood boasts a raised mechanical resistance, water resistance and lightness. This laser engraving material consists of several sheets of wood that are glued together. However, ultimately you should decide based on what works best for your design!īesides natural woods there is also plywood, which has several advantages. However, if the design covers a large area that contains many intricate details, you should choose raster engraving method. But how do you decide? As a rule of thumb, if your surface details consist of large, relatively simple shapes you should opt for vector engraving, as this is the quicker and thus more economic laser engraving method. The difference between both methods can be a substantial cost saver even when you order only one piece from an online service. This effect works especially well on wood. The final parts feature the evenly engraved surface from raster engraving and also the crisp outline created by the vector engraving. The video above illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of both methods.įor the best effect, it may be worthwhile to combine both methods. It is less suitable for materials like acrylic, since the melted outline is only faintly visible. Vector engraving lends itself well to wood because the burned outline creates a stunning contrast with the warm surface of the material. Professionals also call this approach “scoring”, and sometimes it is also called “line engraving”. If your design consists of minute lines and curves, then vector engraving is the appropriate method. Vector files (SVG, EPS etc.) are composed of lines that are traced onto the surface sequentially. attach chains, glue walls and components together. Usually, it is not necessary to post-process laser engraving parts.
#Free mini laser engraver software how to
– Read about the Do’s & Don’ts of how to maintain your laser engraver and achieve eye-catching effects. Use presets to speed up this step of the process. Choose the laser engraving settings according to the specifications provided by the manufacturer.Depending on the design and materials, you may use tape, but some laser engravers offer mechanical solutions. Transfer the file into the laser engraver and fasten the part on the work platform.– Learn more about the software used to create laser engraving graphics. Next, create the design in a graphics program like Gimp, or Photoshop for raster files and AutoCAD, Illustrator, or InkScape for vector files.– Read the laser engraving materials guide to learn how to achieve what effect on the desired material. You should also be aware of the different ways materials react to laser engraving. – Learn about the fundamental differences between these two techniques.
This allows you to design your part in way that is aesthetically pleasing and cost-efficient.
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