Laser engraving wood

[Tim Spiker]

I'm trying to engrave a photo to wood. I used the gold method to prepare the image and it looks good but when it lasers some of the fine detail does not seem to laser...I have a hurricane Lisa using 350 speed 50 power and .042 scan gap.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Tim;
Most critical thing when engraving photos is to make sure your photo resolution matches your scan gap- and DO NOT resize your image after processing.
I use Photoshop to set the image size and resolution (300 dpi), process it as a bitmap in Photograve (or use Gold method), imort to Corel and then laser from Corel (or import bitmap image into Laserworks/etc).
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Tim;
Scan gap of .042 equates to 600 dpi per my chart. This is much too high and details get blurred.
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[David Somers]

Tim, this may seem like a really obvious question, but are you sure you have the laser focused correctly on your work?

Dave

[Tim Spiker]

Thanks for the replies guys I am focusing using the tool that came with my machine. As far as the DPI goes I use 600 because the engraving was very light at 300. How can I make the engraving darker without using such a high DPI

[Gary Hair]

How can I make the engraving darker without using such a high DPI

Higher power, lower speed, or multiple passes.

[Tim Spiker]

If I lower speed/raise power the engraving it too deep

[Gary Hair]

Then take it a bit out of focus. You can also lower the speed and lower the power at the same time and you will get a darker mark without much change in depth. Combine all three and you may get the results you want.

[Tim Spiker]

Thanks I'll try that...

[Dan Hintz]

Thanks for the replies guys I am focusing using the tool that came with my machine.

VERIFY the tool is set correctly... plenty of trouble has been resolved by determining the focus tool is not set to the proper depth.

[David Somers]

Like Dan said. And I do hate to admit this...but my laser company provided me with a little rectangle of acrylic as a gauge. No indication in their instructions or on the gauge as to how it was to be used. It took a bit for me to realize it needed to be laying on the object on edge rather than flat. Makes a huge difference. (weak embarrassed grin)

I was helping another person on a FB forum who made their own gauge. They had a 2" lens and made a gauge that was exactly 2" tall. It was a 2" lens that they ordered after all so the gauge needed to be 2" tall. The first issue is this was on a Chinese machine. When they say 2" lens it is not actually 2". They measure in mm and the 2" is just an approximation. Then, the real issue was they forgot that the lens is up inside the lens tube so the gauge needs to account for that and only measure from the bottom of the lens tube cone to the focal point. Considerably less than 2 inches. Anyway....those are some of the things to watch out for with focus. BTW. Did the laser company send you a premade focus gauge or did you have to make one? Have you ever done a focus test on your machine? That simply means taking something smooth and laserable like anodized aluminum or wood and setting it up on a slight ramp....lower on one end and higher on the other. Then run a lased line along its length with what you think is the focal point somewhere in the center. Look at the resulting line with a magnifying lens our Loupe and see where the sharpest narrowest point is in the line. The distance from that point to the bottom of your lens cone would be the size of the gauge you make up. Hope this helps!

Dave
(and hey Dan!!!! Hope all is well with you!!!!! <grin>)

[Dan Hintz]

(and hey Dan!!!! Hope all is well with you!!!!! <grin>)

Parents left Sunday morning from a week and a half visit... dad was here to help me with framing in the basement. He's a slave driver... 12-hour days for 8 days straight. I'm STILL sore. And we only managed to get about half of the framing done. I need to order one of those DIY expanding foam kits to handle some of the joist runs that will be fully enclosed by the firebreak once those walls go up. Then I can have a pro crew come in and spray everything else.