Multiple pass raster in Corel

[Dieter Henss]

I am trying to set up a graphic so that when I send it to the laser I will get multiple raster passes. The only way I have found so far is to this is to hit the start button on the printer again. I have tried to put two identical items on top of each other in different colors, with this I only get the output from the top color. I have tried to put the items on different layers, again I only get the top item. My goal is to create a graphic that contains multiple raster passes, and one vector pass. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for all the help in advance.

Dieter

[Dan Hintz]

If it's a B/W image, make your copy a different color and assign it to a second raster. For example, on my ULS I could make 8 overlaid copies in red, green, blue, etc. and have all of them set to 'raster'. Then I'd get 8 runs of the same image.

If the image is grayscale and/or you're using 3D mode, you'll have to hit the 'go' button a second time.

[Bill Jermyn]

I would print as raster only, press the start button twice, then print vector only. Would that work?

[Scott Shepherd]

What machine do you have?

[Dieter Henss]

Thanks for all the quick replies.

I have a Universal V-460 with a 50 watt laser, and not too sure which version of the driver (not at that machine right now).

The reason for the request is that I am playing around with 3D and MDF. I have found that the lower power setting give me less char on the edges, but do less to the material. So my thought is to do multiple passes to achieve the results of the higher power settings.

Dieter

[Dieter Henss]

Dan,

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried the multi color idea, and only the top most color prints. I even tried to put each color on different layers, and again only the top most color prints.

Dieter

[onur cakir]

Hi Dieter,

On print dialogs box set "number of copies" to 2. That should trigger laser for 2 passes.

[Richard Rumancik]

On print dialogs box set "number of copies" to 2. That should trigger laser for 2 passes.

But won't that duplicate the vector cuts as well? He wants multiple raster passes and a single vector.

This sounds like it would be useful to do, I have used the workaround methods on my system but you'd think you could "embed" the 2nd (or 3rd) pass right in the file. On my LaserPro I am not sure if it is possible. . . from what I remember, it seems like it combines all bitmaps into one and "flattens" it to a single pass.

Would be nice if the driver allowed you to enter "number of passes" on a layer by layer basis. Then you would not even have to doctor the file up with overlapping images.

[Scott Shepherd]

On the ULS, you should be able to just copy it, make it a different color (make sure that color is on the ULS color palette) and then print it. Also, make sure that color is set to Raster and that it's all set right. I've done that numerous times, so I know it'll work. Something simple you're missing, I think. Double check all those settings and make sure the 2nd color is setup right and you should be good to go.

[Rodne Gold]

Surely the 3d function works only with greyscale?
I cant see how assigning it to different colours will result in multiple passes?
I would run the greyscale and vectors as 2 sep files and just repeat the greyscale till you get the depth
or
Run the greyscale with a lot of power , then run a "polishing pass" , which is a pass at much lower power and higher speed to "clean" the char.
3d is not a great option on lasers.
One thing i have never tried , but might work , is to run the mdf wet or damp - might reduce char.
Otherwise perhaps use a brass bristeled cleaning brush on it after to scour off the char?

[Michael Wintermute]

I copy anything that I want repeated on to page 2 , 3 ,etc, then set the laser to autostart.
I do this on a Xenetech.
Mike

[Dieter Henss]

Thanks for all the great comments.

I tried a little test. On my page I put a circle and a square. The circle I made red and the square I made green. I set my speed and power for both colors and made sure they were both set up as raster. When I hit the start button, the circle prints completely, and then the square prints.

If I take the square and cover the right half of the circle, the left half of the circle prints, and then the square prints.

Looking around in Corel’s help section, I found some information about overprinting. I tried the settings as shown with no luck, the left side of the circle prints, and then the square.

I am eager to find a way to make this work, so keep up the good suggestions.

Dieter

[Scott Shepherd]

Contact ULS about it. I think you have something set wrong. As mentioned before, I do this from time to time and haven't experienced the issues you are mentioning. I don't have the same model machine as you do, so I can't be sure it's the same, but an email to ULS or a call to them should answer this really quickly.

[Dan Hintz]

Hmmm, as Steve said, something isn't set up correctly. Even with vector optimization (which should have no effect on raster), the unit should finish with an entire color before moving on to the next.

[Dieter Henss]

Dan and Scott,

When a job that contains multi colors is sent to the machine each color is fully printed before the next color starts. The only exception to this is when one color covers part of another color. In this case the lower object is printed as if it stops where the top object starts. Then when the color for the top object starts, that object is fully printed.

Dieter

[Dan Hintz]

Dieter,

If I understand you correctly, you're saying his problem would be solved if he makes sure his colors are on separate layers with each layer in the same order as the on the control panel? In other words, black is on the top layer, red is on the second, etc.

If what you're suggesting is correct, I would consider that undesirable behavior on the driver's part, even if it's not considered a bug, per se.

[Dieter Henss]

I had a great conversation with Universal today. They told me that there is no way to print overlapping raster objects. However, you can print over lapping vector objects. They told me that I two options to do what I am looking for. First is to keep hitting the start button, second is to send multiple jobs to the printer. Universal did tell me that I was not the first person to call looking for help on this.
I want to thank everybody for their comments and suggestions. Please let me know if I can offer any help down the road.
Dieter

[Scott Shepherd]

Dieter, I gave it a try and couldn't get it to do it while rastering either. I know I recalled doing it and I recalled the job. I opened it up and sure enough, it was all vectoring. I tried the rastering with no luck either. I could almost swear I recall a post when I first got my machine where I asked how to do it and got the instructions. I'll see if I can find that old post and see what it said.

I never thought about it being a vector only feature. Not sure why that would be the case.

[Rodne Gold]

You are confusing "raster engraving" with a pixel type object, you can "raster engrave" a vector based object - ie use the machine to scan back and forth to engrave it. Pixel objects will be treated differently by any driver especially a 3d driver which will work on greyscale.

[Richard Rumancik]

. . .[Universal] told me that there is no way to print overlapping raster objects. . . . Dieter

That is what I was trying to say when I said that the driver seems to "flatten" the overlapping raster layers. In other words, if there is a "dot" in one layer and an overlapping "dot" in another, it treats this as a single laser dot. It does not "add" the dots, it "ors" the dots. Your ink jet or laser printer will likely do the same thing - it won't double the ink/toner for overlapping raster objects.

That is what I have seen with my LaserPro and it sounds like the Universal works the same.

What we really want is for the laser to raster the entire image and then repeat it, or go on to the next (overlapping) image on another layer. Seems to me that the cleanest way to do multiple passes of the same raster image is to be able to set a number of passes in the driver, rather than have to copy mage on top of image. How hard could this be?

Although you may have been the first to mention it, I bet you are not the first person who could have USED the feature. We all find limitations to our systems, and find our own work-arounds, and then the laser manufacturers think all is well.

When I first got my laser I thought that the manufacturer would be interested in my ideas for improvement but I quickly got discouraged. I often got the answer that I was the only one who had that problem/issue/concern. Would be nice if the laser manufacturers had a suggestion box, and then users could express their interest in a new feature (or not).