Page Setup, engraver setup or... other?

[Shawn Handley]

Greetings to all!

I have an Epilog EXT using Corel X4.

I have an issue where if I draw a 2x2 square and put the center of that square at x:1, y:1, the engraver only cuts the right and bottom lines. Epilog is telling me it should cut all 4 but the top and left lines would be the very edge of the table.

I'm starting to think there is a discrepancy between Corel and the engraver or the engraver does not know where the edge of the table is.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I figured I should share some info.

To set the page up, I go to Tools, Options, Document, Page, Size, Select the Legend Engraver fromt he list, click "Get Page Size From Printer" and make sure the width and height are correct (32.0, 24.0) and Bleed is 0. I Click OK.

The engraver is set up with the following home positions:

X Home: -0368
Y Home: +0141

X R Home: +0303
Y R Home: -0602

Laser Match: -02
Stamp Match: +00

Encoder Match X: +01
Encoder Match Y: +41

Laser T.M.: +00
Laser T.I.: +00

[Glen Monaghan]

Not sure whether Epilogs will cut at 0, but Corel doesn't like it.

I don't normally cut less than 0.1" from an edge in order to avoid potentially uneven edges or possible edge effects. However once, when adjusting the rulers, I did try to mark at 0" onto masking tape. IIRC, Corel wouldn't let me use lines exactly on the 0 axes so I marked at 1" instead and measured back to 0.

-Glen

[Shawn Handley]

I like the way you think but Epilog is convinced there is either a major setup issue or a major hardware issue.

[Mike Null]

It could be as simple as the location of your rulers vs the location of 0-0 then you won't be able to position a drawing in that corner. You may have a setting in your driver to adjust the 0-0.

I used one Epilog, an old one, where I had to reset the rulers.

How much of a problem would it be to move the drawing right and down a couple thousandths.

[Shawn Handley]

If that was the case, wouldn't I just be cutting into the rulers on the top and left rather than no cuts at all on those lines?

Tech support was the first place I turned. The had me run some tests and sent me some new hardware. No dice.

[Michael Hunter]

I can check tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure my Epilog does not cut along the rulers.

For plastics (Romark and acrylic) I always leave a gap of about 1/4" between the rulers and the material to allow for the material expanding and/or thin borders bending/twisting, so I have no reason to try to cut along the rulers anyway.
For wood, two sides lasered and two sides sawn would look silly.

Another thing - a hairline extending past the edge of the page (ruler) is cut in 1" segments, rather than a continuous cut.
Not normally a problem, but the starts do show in some materials.

[Shawn Handley]

It would be great if you can check but the cut along the side was the result of another failed test that Epilog techs had me perform. I do not cut along the rulers usually. They tell me this is a problem. I have a suspicion that is isn't a problem.

[Glen Monaghan]

I can't imagine why you'd ever really want to cut along a 0 axis, nor what sort of problem it might be if you couldn't do it. How did this turn into an issue for you? If you never cut there, and everything else seems to be working okay, then I'd suggest ignoring the issue.

-Glen

[Shawn Handley]

I do not wish to cut along the 0 axis. It was a test the epilog techs had me do. The problem was the vector did not match the raster along the x axis. If I engrave a 1 x 1 anywhere and then vector is out, the x axis on the vector cut is off to the left a bit. Not a lot but enough to make really small labels obviously not in line. It's just the x axis. The Y axis is fine.

[Glen Monaghan]

Well that's a new one on me (not that that means much). Is this a consistent thing that vectors are offset from rasters, or only when you do both in the same job? In other words, if you send a line vectored at x=5, does it draw at 5-"a little bit" from the origin, while if you send a different job that rasters a line at x=5, it's right at 5.00 from the origin, or does it only happen that they are offset when sent in the same job?

What happens when you try to vector a line at x<="a little bit"?

-Glen

[Michael Hunter]

What density is your raster set to?
The Epilog driver ignores anything that is "off-grid" when rastering (play about with 75dpi and you will see what I mean).
It may be that going to a higher resolution (600 or 1200dpi) will solve or minimise the offset problem.

You are not alone it this - mine shows an offset, but it is so tiny that only once have I needed to come up with a workaround.

[Shawn Handley]

Well that's a new one on me (not that that means much). Is this a consistent thing that vectors are offset from rasters, or only when you do both in the same job? In other words, if you send a line vectored at x=5, does it draw at 5-"a little bit" from the origin, while if you send a different job that rasters a line at x=5, it's right at 5.00 from the origin, or does it only happen that they are offset when sent in the same job?

What happens when you try to vector a line at x<="a little bit"?

This is a constant thing. It doesn't mater if it's in the same job or not. Raster at 5 is at 5. Vector at 5 is 5-a little bit

If I vector a line at x<- a little bit, it will move it into centre.

Typically I rater at 400 or 600dip never above or below.

I appreciate I am not along but when I shell out 30,000+ for a machine, I expect it to work as such.