Lasertile and grayscaling

[Scott Perry]

I have had a lot of trouble producing quality images on lasertile, marble and granite. I purchase some of Lasertile's artwork...wolf, tree/pond and I could not get a good one engraved no matter what settings I tried. It always looked flat. I then remember someone having a gray scale test out there, of course I could not find it...I had even downloaded once. So I made my own...9 squares each a 10% change in black. Well I engraved it using the black/white setting at 70/100/400--I could see 3 separate shades- total. I tried using the 3d setting and I could see 6 separate shades. I believe this could be causing some of my frustrations. I have a Pinnacle Explorer II 30 watt. In a little over a year I have had to replace the main board and fan, auto focus pin and harness, 2 out of the 4 lights (waiting on the other two -ordered.), laser tube and now I need a "Y" servo. I think this could be the last straw. Am I wrong or should my laser be able to do all shades of grades at the very least a 10% change. Any help is always appreciated.

[Mike Null]

If I'm reading your method correctly you are asking the laser to produce images with a 10% change in your black settings at 70% power on a 30 watt machine. That means you are expecting 2.1 watts difference in power setting to give you visibly varying images. I think you will be disappointed. 2.1 watts variance is just not enough.

[Scott Perry]

Sorry, I mean 70 speed--100 power.

[Darren Null]

I've only got a 10W and after a certain point, the hole doesn't get any deeper- it just melts; stays the same depth and the impurities in the rock turn a horrible colour because I'm frying them. You could be having some of the same experience.

Speaking personally, I don't even attempt greyscale on marble or granite. Try converting your image to pure black and white, using Photograv, Etchtone, Screens or India Ink (there's another one...photolaser plus?). I get pretty good quality images on marble and granite, but that's coz I fake the greyscale with good dithering.

Maybe it's different with super power lasers.

[Scott Perry]

I would expect to see shade changes using lasertile because of the artwork they sale. Would anyone having lasertile care to do this test and let me know? Maybe I am asking too much from my laser.

Starting at full power-doing 10% changes =3 watt between shades--should I be able to see the changes?

[Pete Simmons]

Scott - Just a quick test

Epilog Mini-18 35 watt

LaserTile S=64 P=100

These numbers are not % power - They are % black from filling the squares in Corel. All squares where engraved at the one setting as you would do an image.

[Scott Perry]

Thanks Pete, it is hard for me to tell shades in your picture. Do you see changes in each shade. Also I may be confusing my issue, when I said 10% I meant I changed the shade from 100% down to 10% at 100 power. I could only see 3 shades of change
10/20% did not burn (Does not count as shade :D)
30/40% looks the same
50/60/70% looks the same
80/90/100 looks the same.

[Pete Simmons]

You can see the difference in each of these. I also went lower 30, 20 and 10. Each of these were also different and yes the 10% did show as a very light grey.

[Scott Perry]

Thanks Pete, I just can't seemed to get mine to do that well. I'm not sure why.