4-1
SECTION 4
Graphics Software
Choosing the right graphics software program to run the laser system is essential for maximum
usage and control of the laser system. Not all software can be used to run the laser system
because many have limitations. Because you may be using a word processing software to
output to your laser printer does not mean you should use it to output to your laser engraving
system. Setting up you software correctly is essential to running the laser system properly.
Software Setup
There are many software programs that you can purchase off-the-shelf that will work with the
laser system. Some of them can access more features of the laser system than others.
Whichever program you choose, it must be set up to work with the laser system otherwise
unexpected results may occur. Use the following guidelines when configuring your software
program.
Page Setup
To properly generate and position artwork, most graphics software will permit the customization
of the page size and orientation. Set the page orientation, in the graphics software to
Landscape, and the page size to a horizontal length of 18 inches(457.2 mm) and vertical height
of 12 inches(304.8 mm). The drivers orientation and page size MUST then be set to match
these specifications EXACTLY, otherwise the artwork may not print correctly. When setting
page orientation and driver orientation to Landscape mode, the laser system will operate in the
horizontal direction, left to right. If page orientation and driver orientation is set to Portrait
mode, the laser system will operate in the vertical direction, front to back. The laser system is
designed to operate best in the Landscape mode and this orientation is highly recommended.
The page size may also be reduced to match the size of the engraving material, but remember
to adjust the page size in the driver to correspond to the graphics softwares page size. Note
that in production situations it is often more efficient to leave the page size at its maximum page
size and engrave or cut more than one object at a time. This is accomplished by duplicating the
image on screen as many times as necessary to fill up the entire page.
Ruler Setup
Usually the graphics software will provide on-screen rulers which can be configured to match
the rulers in the laser system. Using rulers in the software and matching them with the ones
provided in the laser system gives the ability to correctly align the graphic on the screen with the
material in the laser system. For now, consider that the laser systems origin is fixed in the
upper left corner of the engraving area and cannot be altered. Later on you will learn how to
relocate the origin. But for right now, change the ruler position on screen to match the laser
system with the origin (0,0) in the upper left corner.
To Next Page
Loading...