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Chuck Burke
09-29-2004, 1:10 AM
Hi,
I am trying to create some wooden "business" cards, the cards have two sides. They measure 3.18" x 1.76" or so. ( The odd measurement is because of my inexeperience with Corel and the graphics industry).
The problem I am having is spacing the "card" on my material
(3/32 cherry that measures 14.5 x 4.5 ) so that after I engrave the
back side of the card, I can turn the material over, engrave the
front side of the card, vector cut it and have the back spaced in
the same space as the front. Any ideas?
Boy I hope this makes sense.

Chuck Burke
Pacific LaZer Works
Woodinville, WA.

Keith Outten
09-29-2004, 6:49 AM
Chuck,

I use the waste piece to align the cards and engrave the back side for engraving. After you have engraved and cut the front of the cards you simply flip the cards over and drop them in the same holes. This way your drawing is perfectly set up and aligned for the back-side engraving.

In Corel make sure you lock the outside vector lines before the first cut. Then save the drawing. After saving the front-side drawing use the same drawing and replace the front-side text with the text for the back-side. Delete the vector lines on the second drawing before you save it and your ready to go. Just flip the cards over to engrave the back-sides.

George M. Perzel
09-29-2004, 8:04 AM
Hi Chuck;
Here's how to do it your way- cutting on the second pass.
Layout your material size and cards with 1st side printing. Select entire layout and go to "Arrange- Transformation-scale
Select Mirror-(top one)
Select "Apply to duplicate"

You now have a mirror image of your lay out. Move it out of your engraving area.
On your original layout, note your exact position of your upper left hand corner.Laser your first layout using Home position- no cutting

Flip your material over (left to right)
Select your entire first layout and move it off the engraving area.
Position the upper left corner of the second layout at the exact same point the first one was. Change text as required for reverse of cards. Set lines for cutting.
Laser and you're done!

If your material is always the same size, you can make a separate file out of each layout- Front and Back- and change text at any time to fit your application.
Good Luck- call or write if you have questions
George

Shaddy Dedmore
09-29-2004, 9:15 AM
A problem could arise using measurements to do both sides. The wood isn't alway the same size, and it's not always an even measurement... as in, it might not be 4.5" wide, it might be 4.507. And when we type in 4.5 for the sheet size within corel, it's next to impossible to get the back side exactly centered.

The EASIEST way to get perfect alignment is Keiths way. Vector the first "side" of the card, then flip over the pieces, leaving the waste in place as a template. What I have done is made 2 pages (remember to only print 1 page at a time), I get the first page set up where I want it, then I copy and paste it to the second, corel has always pasted to the exact spot on the page where copied from for me, so you know it's going to align correctly (but I also always check the x/y just in case). THen leave the vector lines alone and change the raster stuff. Flip the cards as suggested above and raster print page 2 (no need to vector cut something that's already cut out :rolleyes: )

Using templates is cool. For lasersketch ovals, I made a 5/7 oval on a page, and etched it into a scrap piece, made it about 1/16" deep. Then in corel I added a 4.5x6.5" oval centered in the larger (to account for 1/4" chamfer). I'll size a pic how I want it, then I'll use Power Clip and place it inside the inside oval. My power clip is set up to center the object within the container, so I get a semi perfect alignment every time, and I just put the oval in the same spot every time.

It's a little hard to account for the marble, every piece isn't exactly the same, but I get close enough with my template. It beats guessing where the centers are and trying to align by eye.

Shaddy

Chuck Burke
09-29-2004, 1:07 PM
Hi All,
Thanks for the input. I am anxious to try the suggestions. I think the jig idea is going to work just fine.

Chuck

Chuck Burke
09-29-2004, 8:45 PM
Thanks to everyone for their help. Taking Keiths suggestion I "cut" the cards first, then simply turned the cards over using the waste as a template and it worked like a charm....no muss no fuss.....and not anymore time consuming than trying to do it with the software.

Thanks again

Chuck Burke
Pacific LaZer Works
Woodinville, WA.