10.1 Glossary
Color Fill – Term within the awards and engraving industry used to describe the variety of techniques used
to add color or contrast to engraving.
DPI – Dots Per Inch or Pixels Per Inch. The resolution of an image as dened by the amount of dots/pixels
included in an inch. The DPI setting of 500, will include tell the machine to include 500 laser rings within an
inch.
Driver – A software program that allows the computer to communicate with its components and peripherals:
printers, scanners, monitors, etc.
Error Diffusion (Dithering Method) - This effect uses a series of random black and white pixels to represent
shading.
Firmware – Programming permanently set into a computer’s ROM chips. This information is burned into
the computer chips and can only be changed by replacing the chips, or in the case of EEROM, by special
procedure.
Parallel Cable – The cable connection between the computer and another device (usually the printer). This
allows the computer to send several bits of data simultaneously.
Parallel Port – An outlet on your computer or electronic device that allows the computer and device to be
connected and share information simultaneously. Another common name for the parallel port is the LPT port.
PPI – Pulses Per Inch. PPI determines the gross amount of laser pulses there will be per linear inch. PPI
is exclusively for the vector setting. A PPI setting of 500 results in the laser ring every .002” (500 times per
inch). If the standard lens is producing a vector laser focal point of .007”, then higher PPI settings will result
in deeper, overlapping laser pulses. PPI settings lower than 150 will result in the individual laser pulses
being spread far apart, so they will not touch each other. Low PPI settings are a good example of perforate
paper.
Raster – The process of rendering a cutting or engraving by multiple horizontal lines. For example: when
cutting out or engraving a square, the raster setting will make the laser use numerous horizontal lines to ll in
the outlined space.
Raster Image – An image that is dened as a collection of arranged pixels in a rectangular array of lines. A
raster image is similar to a "Bitmap" graphics image.
Raster Line – A raster line is the individual horizontal line that makes up the raster image.
Vector – The process of cutting or engraving an image by using single horizontal, vertical and curved lines.
For example: when cutting out or engraving the outline of a square, the vector setting will make the laser use
a thin single line to follow the outline of the shape.
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