Lesson Category: Fusion Pro

Remove Panels

First, power off and unplug the machine.

Using a 5/32” Allen Key, remove the right side panel from the machine.

Using a 5/32” Allen Key, remove the left side panel from the machine.

Manually move the x-axis assembly to the middle of the engraver.

Remove the X-axis assembly from the machine.

Remove the lens tube by using a Philips head screwdriver to unscrew the captive screw securing the front lens clamp.

Remove the left and right bellows on both sides of the machine by loosening the six (6) 5/16” nuts which secure them in place.

Put on the anti-static wrist strap. Clip the strap on to any metal part of the machine. Always wear the anti-static strap to avoid damaging the unit through static discharge.

Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the 4 screws that secure the x-axis motor drive board cover and set the cover to the side.

Now, disconnect the 7 electrical connectors from the drive board and set the board to the side.

Remove the 4 mounting screws supporting the drive board using a Phillips Screwdriver.

Take off the anti-static wrist strap until needed when replacing the motor drive board.

Remove the four 5/32” fasteners that secure the x-axis assembly to the y-axis bearings. There are two on the right side and two on the left side.

Slide the x-axis assembly out of the engraver through the right side of the machine, taking care to clear the carriage assembly through the opening without damage.

Loosen the four 2.5 mm x-axis motor mounting screws and move the x-axis motor towards the center of the x-axis assembly.

Remove the X-Axis Reducer Belt

Using a 7/64” Allen Key, remove the four screws that secure the x-axis reducer assembly in place.

At the left side of the engraver, loosen the four 7/64” idler mounting screws located on the front side of the x-axis assembly, and the four idler mounting screws at the rear of the x-axis assembly.

Remove the tension from the x-axis belt by loosening the two 7/64” screws on the idler assembly body.

Remove the x-axis reducer from the reducer/motor housing.

Pull the x-axis belt away from the center of the x-axis assembly.

Place the reducer assembly in the reducer/motor housing. Ensure that the notch on the reducer baseplate is pointing towards the x-axis motor.

Install the x-axis reducer assembly and the four 7/64” Allen screws that secure it to the x-axis assembly.

Install the X-Axis Reducer Belt

Using your hands, manually apply tension to the reducer drive belt by pulling the x-axis motor away from the reducer.

Once the slack has been removed from the reducer belt, tighten the four 2.5 mm x-axis motor mounting screws.

Now it’s time to tension the x-axis belt, begin to apply tension to the belt by tightening the two 7/64 belt tensioning screws that were loosened earlier, until there is no slack left on the belt.

Now you may re-install the X-axis Assembly.

Insert the x-axis assembly through the right side of the engraver, taking care to clear the carriage assembly through the opening without damage.

Once fully inserted, place the x-axis assembly onto the y-axis bearing blocks. On the y-axis bearing blocks is a locating pin that ensures the correct placement on the x-axis assembly. These pins fit into an opening on both the left and right side of the x-axis assembly.

Install and/or tighten the four 5/32” fasteners that secure the x-axis assembly to the y-axis bearings. There are two on the right side and two on the left side.

Put on the anti-static wrist strap, clipping the strap to any metal part of the machine.

Replace the 4 mounting screws supporting the drive board with a Phillips Screwdriver.

Reconnect the seven (7) electrical connectors from the drive board. The electrical connectors on the drive board are all unique and as such, will only fit into one receptacle.

Replace the x-axis motor drive board cover and tighten the 4 screws securing it.

Reconnect the left and right bellows on both sides of the machine and tighten the six 5/16” nuts which secure them in place.

Install the lens tube by tightening the Phillips screw on the retaining collar which secures it, ensuring that it does not fall.

Plug in and power on the machine.

After installation of a new x-axis assembly, confirm the home position is accurate and recalibrate it if needed.

Plug in and power on the machine.

Once the slack is removed, you will need to run an engraving test.

Plug in and power on the machine.

Open your preferred illustrating program and create a black raster box on an artboard that is:

• • For Pro 48: 46” or 1100mm wide
• • For Pro 32: 30” or 800mm wide
• • and Roughly 4” or 100mm tall

Set the speed to 100%. The power setting is unimportant, since we will be running the job with the machine lid open and the laser will not be firing.

Send the job to the engraver and start the job.

At the display panel, press the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the display to open the Settings menu.

Press and hold the word “Settings” that appears at the touch of the touchpad to gain access to the Advanced Settings menu.

Once in the Advanced Settings menu, enter the Diagnostics menu and locate the RMS Current reading for the X-Axis Motor/Drive.

While the job is running, the x-axis motor RMS current should be between 5.2 – 6.2A.

If the RMS current is lower than this, pause the job and increase the tension on the x-axis belt by tightening the two (2) 7/64” tensioner screws on the x-axis idler assembly.

If the RMS current is higher than this, pause the job and decrease the tension on the x-axis belt by loosening the two (2) 7/64” tensioner screws on the x-axis idler assembly.

Once the optimal RMS current value has been achieved, tighten the four 7/64” idler mounting screws at the front of the x-axis assembly and the four 7/64” idler mounting screws at the rear of the x-axis assembly.

Replace both the left and right panels of the engraver.

You have now completed replacing the Reducer Drive Assembly on the Fusion Pro.

Loosen X-Belt

Start by powering of and unplugging the machine.

Using a 5/32” Allen Key, remove the left side panel from the machine.

At the left side of the engraver, loosen the four idler mounting screws located on the front side of the x-axis assembly, and the four idler mounting screws located on the rear of the x-axis assembly.

Remove the tension from the x-axis belt by loosening the two 7/64” screws on the idler assembly body.

Now it’s time to remove the Belt Clamps. Manually move the lens carriage to the right side of the machine.

Locate the x-axis belt clamps, just to the left and right side of the lens carriage assembly. Using a 3/32” Allen key, remove the four inner x-axis belt clamp mounting screws.

Connecting Old X-Belt to New X-Belt

Now we will connect the old belt to the new belt to ensure successful installation of the new X-axis belt.

Thoroughly clean the outer (smooth) side of the belt that is currently installed in the engraver.

Pull the right side of the belt away from the lens assembly and place it next to the new belt end-to-end.

Using Duct Tape, or a similar, heavy-duty tape, join the old and new belts together by placing a strip of tape on the outer (smooth) sides.

Before securing both the old and new belts together, ensure that the orientation of the teeth match. The teeth of the belt just face towards the rear of the engraver, while the smooth side should face the front of the engraver.

Place an additional piece of tape around the connection point of the new and old belts.

Once the new and old belts have been joined together, attach the right-side belt clamp to the untaped side of the new belt. This will prevent the new belt from being pulled into the reducer housing.

Ensure that the belt clamp is centered on the belt before tightening the clamp.

Replace Old X-Belt with New

Slowly pull on the left side of the old belt to remove it while subsequently threading the new belt through the x-axis assembly.

Once the connection point between the new and old belts has exited the idler assembly on the left side of the x-axis assembly, disconnect the belts by removing the tape.

Install the belt clamps by connecting the remaining belt clamp to the left side of the x-axis belt, ensuring that it is centered on the belt before tightening the clamp.

Place the belt clamps in position. Install and tighten the four 3/32” inner x-axis belt clamp mounting screws.

Tension New X-Belt

Now it’s time to tension the X-axis belt. Begin to apply tension to the X-axis belt via the two 7/64” x-axis belt tensioning screws that were loosened earlier until there is no slack left on the belt.

Once the slack is removed, you will need to run an engraving test.

Engraving Test

Plug in and power on the machine.

Open your preferred illustrating program and create a black raster box on an artboard that is:

• • For Pro 48: 46” or 1100mm wide
• • For Pro 32: 30” or 800mm wide
• • and Roughly 4” or 100mm tall

Set the speed to 100%. The power setting is unimportant, since we will be running the job with the machine lid open and the laser will not be firing.

Send the job to the engraver and start the job.

At the display panel, press the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the display to open the Settings menu.

Press and hold the word “Settings” that appears at the touch of the touchpad to gain access to the Advanced Settings menu.

Once in the Advanced Settings menu, enter the Diagnostics menu and locate the RMS Current reading for the X-Axis Motor/Drive.

While the job is running, the x-axis motor RMS current should be between 5.2 – 6.2A.

If the RMS current is lower than this, pause the job and increase the tension on the x-axis belt by tightening the two (2) 7/64” tensioner screws on the x-axis idler assembly.

If the RMS current is higher than this, pause the job and decrease the tension on the x-axis belt by loosening the two (2) 7/64” tensioner screws on the x-axis idler assembly.

Once the optimal RMS current value has been achieved, tighten the four 7/64” idler mounting screws at the front of the x-axis assembly and the four 7/64” idler mounting screws at the rear of the x-axis assembly.

Replace the left side panel of the engraver.

You have now completed replacing the X-axis belt on the Fusion Pro.

Lens Tube

With the machine powered on, select the Jog icon.

Then use the joystick to move the laser head toward the front and middle of the machine to provide you easier access to the lens assembly.

Select the Focus icon, then use the joystick to lower the table to give you a little room to work.

Open the top and front doors.

Shut off the laser and remove the power cord from the machine.

Remove the lens tube by using a Philips head screwdriver to unscrew the captive screw securing the front lens clamp.

Support the lens tube from the bottom, as the tube may come out easily.

Unscrew the lens tube cap on the end of the lens tube to give you access to one side of the lens inside the tube.

Apply some lens cleaning solution to a cotton swab, then use it clean the side of the lens you just exposed. Use a dry cotton swab to dry the lens.

Turn the lens tube around and clean and dry the other side of the lens.

Screw the lens tube cap back onto the lens tube.

Place the tube back into the assembly, making sure that the hole near the bottom of the tube lines up with the air assist hole on the assembly.

Make sure the notch at the top of the lens tube lines up with the insert on the assembly as well.

When the tube is in place it should only shift slightly when twisted side to side.

Secure the front lens clamp using a Philips screwdriver.

Lens Assembly

Next, open the housing at the top of the lens tube by pivoting the plate located on the back side of the housing.

Loosen the mirror screw, then carefully slide the mirror out of the housing.

Clean and dry the mirror.

While the housing is open, clean and dry the interior and exterior of the lens assembly window.

Carefully reinsert the mirror, tighten the mirror screw, and pivot the plate to close the housing.

The plate should click into place.

Internal Mirrors

Next we’ll clean the mirrors at the top and bottom of the periscope at the rear of the machine.

Use a hex key to remove the top access plate on the left side of the machine and reveal the top mirror housing.

Also remove the bottom access plate to reveal the bottom mirror housing.

To give yourself more room to work, you may want to remove the bottom panel on the back of the machine.

Use a hex key to remove the six screws, then remove the panel and set it aside.

Let’s start with the top mirror.

Remove the magnetic housing plate.

Loosen the mirror screw, then carefully slide the mirror out of the housing.

Clean and dry the mirror.

Reinsert the mirror, tighten the mirror screw, and put the magnetic housing plate back in position.

Follow the same process for the bottom mirror.

Remove the magnetic housing plate.

Loosen the mirror screw, then carefully slide the mirror out of the housing.

Clean and dry the mirror.

Reinsert the mirror, tighten the mirror screw, and put the magnetic housing plate back in position.

Reattach the bottom panel on the back of the machine by reinserting the six screws.

Reattach the top and bottom access panels on the left side of the machine as well.

X-Axis Assembly Mirror

Finally, use a hex key to loosen the black panel locks on the blue side panel on the left side of the machine.

Set the panel aside.

Loosen the mirror screw on the mirror housing at the end of the x-axis.

Carefully slide the mirror out of the housing.

Clean and dry the mirror.

Reinsert the mirror and tighten the mirror screw.

Clean and dry the outside of the window at the top of the periscope near the back of the machine.

Reattach the blue side panel by securing the panel locks.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Whenever you move or adjust the lens or mirrors, we suggest you run the laser alignment procedure to ensure everything is still properly aligned.

Replacing the Control Panel

Before we begin, turn off and unplug the Fusion Pro.

Using a 5/32” Allen Key, remove the right side panel from the machine.

Open the display panel package you received and put on the anti-static strap.

Clip the strap onto any metal part of the machine.

Always wear an anti-static strap for this procedure to prevent possible damage.

Use the Phillips screwdriver to loosen the 2 two screws on the right side of the control panel.

Remove Old Panel

Remove the control panel by placing your thumbs on top of the panel and pulling the control panel out from the right side of the machine.

Install the New Panel

Install the new control panel, making sure the connectors are lined up while sliding it into place from the right side of the machine.

Using the Phillips screwdriver, tighten the 2 screws on the right side of the control panel.

You may now unclip the anti-static strap from the machine.

Replace the right side panel and tighten the screws that secure it to the machine.

Plug in and power on the machine.

Once the machine has fully booted up, set up the network, IP, Subnet and Gateway settings.

Reconnect the USB or Ethernet cable used previously to send jobs to your machine.

Open the Crate

Start by using scissors or a utility knife to cut the box straps. Stand clear of the straps, as they are under high tension and may pop out at high speed when cut.

Remove the accessories box sitting on top of the crate and set it to the side.

Remove the screws securing the top lid using a screwdriver or a drill.

Remove the top lid and set it to the side.

Remove the screws securing the front panel.

Slide the front panel out of the box.

Remove the outer screws holding up the two braces on top of the machine.

Remove the braces as well as any foam pieces around the machine.

Next, take the top panel you removed at the beginning and align its corners with the ledge on the bottom of the box, making a ramp.

Secure the ramp with a screw.

Remove the Machine

Remove the plastic cover from the machine.

The Fusion Pro 32 and 48 systems range in weight from 400 lbs (182 kg) to 650 lbs (295 kg). You may need the help of an additional person when pulling the Fusion Pro off the pallet and down the ramps.

Roll the machine down the ramp slowly and carefully until it is out of the box and on level ground.

Again, be sure to save the packaging material so you can use it when moving the system in the future.

Included Items and Materials

Next, open the accessories box and we’ll look at the included items.

Your Fusion Pro laser system includes:

• Power cord
• Ethernet cord
• USB cord
• Exhaust and Vacuum Table Plenum Connectors
• Driver Install CD
• Quick Start Guide
• Owner’s Manual
• Training Suite Signup Card
• Laser Beam Alignment Target
• Lens Cleaner
• Bearing Lubrication Grease
• Camera Calibration Mat
• Vendor Material Sample Kit, and
• A Quick Start Guide

Remove the Current Lens

Begin by Jogging the lens assembly closer to the front of the machine. To do this, select the Jog Menu icon, then use the joystick to move the lens assembly.

Lower the table a few inches to give you some clearance to work. You can accomplish this by selecting the Focus Menu icon, then pulling the joystick toward the front of the machine to move the table down.

Remove the lens tube from the machine by unscrewing the captive screw on the front lens clamp using a #1 Philips screwdriver.

Support the lens tube from the bottom while unscrewing the captive screw, as the tube may come out easily.

Note: This is a great opportunity to clean your lens(es), either the one you are removing and/or the one you are installing. A clean lens is vital to achieving quality results with a laser, so consider taking a few moments to clean both sides of your lens with a cotton swab and some lens cleaning solution.

Install the New Lens

Place the new tube into the assembly, making sure that the hole near the bottom of the tube lines up with the air assist hole on the assembly.

Also make sure the notch at the top of the lens tube lines up with the pin on the inside of the assembly. When the tube is in place it should only shift slightly when twisted side to side.

Wrap the clamp back around the new tube and tighten the captive screw.

Setting Up Your Page

We’ll start by creating a new file. On the Welcome screen select the New Document button. You can also press Ctrl + N to create a new document.

Now enter your page dimensions. Enter 4” for the page width and 4” for the page height, then click OK.

Creating a Keychain Jig

To create our jig we need to create a hole the same size as the keychain so we can accurately secure the keychain in place. Start by measuring the width of the keychain you received in your Training Suite packet. Use a set of calipers or a ruler to measure the keychain. The keychain should measure 1.6”. We’ll use this later to set the diameter for the jig circle.

Now we’re going to draw a circle in CorelDRAW. Select the Ellipse tool in the toolbox on the left. While holding down the Ctrl key, click and drag across the page to create a circle. The size is not important as we are going to manually key in the diameter.

Once you’ve drawn the circle, click on the Lock Ratio button in the Properties bar at the top of the screen. Turning on the Lock Ratio option will ensure the width and height of the circle remain equal when we change only one of the values.

Now enter the Width of the keychain you measured earlier into the Object Size box at the top of the screen. We’ll enter 1.6”, then press the Enter key.

Make sure the circle is still selected, then press the letter P on your keyboard to center it to the page.

Next we need a spot in the jig for the eyelet and ring to rest. This notch will ensure the keychain remains in the same orientation when we flip it over later. Select the rectangle tool in the toolbox. We’ll need the rectangle to start about 0.25” above the circle and be about 0.25” wide.

Click and drag from above the circle down into the circle to create the cutout for the eyelet and ring.

If you need to adjust the size of your rectangle by manually entering a width into the object size box at the top of the screen.

Confirm that the rectangle is aligned to the center of the page horizontally by selecting ‘Object’ > ‘Align and Distribute’ > ‘Center to Page Horizontally’.

Printing to the Laser (Jig Cutting)

Now that we’ve completed the outline for our jig, we want to print this file to the laser.

Click and drag around the circle and rectangle to select your jig design. Select File, then Print from the dropdown menu.

Be sure that your print range is set to Selection, and set Epilog Engraver as your printer, and make sure “Match orientation and size” is selected as the Page setting. Then click the Print button.

The Epilog Dashboard will open with our file. In the left-hand sidebar, select the video box to turn off the IRIS camera feed. Since we’ll be positioning everything using our jig, we won’t need IRIS assistance.

Over in the ‘Vector’ process in the right-hand sidebar, let’s set our vector cutting parameters. We’re using a 120w laser, so we’ll set our speed to 50%, our power to 50%, and our frequency to 10%. To determine the right settings for your wattage of laser, test settings with some extra scrap cardboard. It doesn’t take much to cut through cardboard, so be sure to start with high speed and low power, then gradually decrease your speed or increase your power until you achieve a clean cut through the material.

Once your settings are good to go, click “Print” to send the job to the laser.

Cutting the Jig at the Laser

At the laser, place your cardboard in the top left corner of the machine. Keeping your jig in this corner will guarantee the hole we are about to cut is always in the same position and orientation.

At the control panel, select the Jog icon, then use the Joystick to move the laser head out slightly over the cardboard. From the open Jog menu, select “Auto Focus.” The machine will automatically adjust the height of the table by using the plunger to detect the material, then moving the table to the correct focal distance.

Select the Reset icon to reset the laser head.

Select the Job menu icon to see the list of available jobs, then select the job you sent to the machine. Press the Go button to start the cutting job.

Importing Graphics

With the jig for the keychain cut, it’s now time to set up our graphic for the keychain itself. Keep your jig design open in CorelDRAW. We’ll use it as a template to help us properly size our graphic.

Let’s import a graphic, center it to the jig circle, then resize it for engraving on the wooden keychain. We’ll use a sea turtle graphic (sea-turtle.eps ) for this example, but you can use any graphic you prefer.

To import the file, select “File”, then “Import”.

Navigate to the file you’d like to Import, then select the file and click the Import button.

When the Import EPS options pop up, you can leave the defaults as they are. Press the OK button to continue.

Now, click anywhere on the page to place the graphic in the work area.

Aligning and Resizing the Graphic

We need to align our turtle to the center of the circle and resize it to fit within the bounds.

Make sure the object is still selected, then click Object at the top of the screen, then Align and Distribute, then Center to Page. You can also press the letter ‘P’ on your keyboard to center the image to your page.

Now we’ll resize the turtle to fit within the bounds of our jig circle and to account for the bevel on the edge of the wooden keychain. To resize the graphic, we’ll click and drag on the top right resizing handle. With the bevel on the wooden keychain, we have about 1” of space to engrave within.

By clicking on the top-right sizing handle, then holding the Shift key and dragging toward the center of the image, we can keep the proportions of the image the same as we make it smaller.

Click and drag the sizing handle, while holding the Shift key, until the turtle is small enough to fit inside of the circle.

You’ll notice we have a little extra space to the bottom right of the turtle, so we’re going to click and drag the turtle down to the right a bit to visually center the turtle to the circle.

Printing to the Laser (Front Engraving)

With the graphic ready to go and still selected, we’re ready to print to the laser.

Select File, then Print from the dropdown menu.

Set Epilog Engraver as your printer, and make sure “Match orientation and size” is selected as the Page setting. Also make sure your Print Range is set to “Selection”. Then click the Print button.

The Epilog Dashboard will open with our file.

In the left-hand sidebar, select the video box to turn off the IRIS camera feed. We are using a jig and we have our dimensions set properly in CorelDRAW.

Over in the ‘Engrave’ process in the right-hand sidebar, let’s set our engraving parameters. We’re using a 120w laser, so we’ll set our DPI to 500, our speed to 85%, and our power to 100%. Let’s also set our Dithering type to Stucki and our Engraving Direction to Bottom-Up.

Refer to your system manual for the recommended settings for your laser’s wattage.

Now that our settings are good to go, we can click “Print” to send the job to the laser.

At the Laser (Front Engraving)

At the laser, place the keychain into the jig. Make sure the jig remains in the top left corner of the work area.

At the control panel, select the Focus Menu icon, then use the joystick to lower the table slightly, ensuring you have vertical clearance to move the laser head out over the keychain.

Then select the Jog icon and use the Joystick to move the auto focus plunger on the laser head assembly above the wood keychain.

From the open Jog menu, select “Auto Focus.”

The machine will automatically adjust the height of the table by using the plunger to detect the material, then moving the table to the correct focal distance.

Select the Reset icon to reset the laser head.

Select the Job menu icon to see the list of available jobs, then select the job you sent to the machine. Press the Go button to start the engraving job.

Engraving the Backside with a Name

There are great time-saving advantages to using jigs when you need to engrave multiple items, or you need to engrave on the back side of an item.

Let’s go ahead and personalize our keychain by engraving the back side with someone’s name.

Start by flipping the keychain over in the jig.

Back in CorelDRAW, we’re going to use the Text tool to add a name to our keychain. Select the text tool from the Toolbox options on the left side of the screen, and click anywhere on the page. Type out the name you would like to add to the keychain and select the typeface you’d like to use.

We’re going to use the name Charlotte in Birch Std (Standard) for our example.

Once you’re finished typing out the name and selecting the typeface, click and drag the turtle outside of the page bounds to get it out of our way.

Then select the name and press the ‘P’ shortcut key on your keyboard to center the name to the page and the jig bounds.

If you need to, resize the name to better fit it to the keychain’s engravable area. Remember to hold down the Shift key while resizing to keep the proportions of the text the same as you resize it.

Printing to the Laser (Back Engraving)

Once the text looks the way you’d like, select the text, then select File, then Print from the dropdown menu.

Set Epilog Engraver as your printer, and make sure “Match orientation and size” is still selected as the Page setting. Also make sure that your print range is still set to “Selection”. Then click the Print button.

The Epilog Dashboard will open with our file.

In the left-hand sidebar, select the video box to turn off the IRIS camera feed.

We’ll use the same engraving settings as last time, so make sure you set DPI to 500, speed to 85%, and power to 100%. Also set the Dithering type to Stucki and the Engraving Direction to Bottom-Up.

Then click “Print” to send the job to the laser.

At the Laser (Back Engraving)

Since we’re just engraving the other side of the keychain, our material thickness hasn’t changed and our laser should still be at the correct focal distance. So all we need to do is select the job that we sent over, then press the Go button to start the engraving job.

Once the job is complete, you’ll have a keychain engraved on both sides!

Setting Up Your Page

We’ll start by creating a new file.

Click on the Get Started option on your Welcome screen, then click the New Document button.

You can also use the shortcut keys, Ctrl + N, to open a new document.

Now enter your page dimensions. Enter 3.5” for the page width and 3.5” for the page height, then click OK.

Adding Guides for Your Engraving Area

The glass coaster you received with your laser system includes four rubber feet on the bottom of the coaster ½” in from each side.

To avoid from engraving on the coaster feet, we’ll set up a few guidelines to represent the bounds of our engraving area within our page to represent the bounds of our engraving area.

Before we get started, we need to confirm that the top left corner of our page is set to the origin for both of our rulers. Look at your Horizontal and Vertical rulers to determine if the top left corner of your page is set to 0 for the Horizontal Ruler and 0 for the Vertical Ruler. If they are, you’re all set. If not, locate the Origin Point tool at the top left corner of your work area.

Then click and drag to the top left corner of your page to set the new Origin point.

To create our guidelines, we’ll start by creating two horizontal guides for the top and bottom boundaries.

Click on the ruler at the top of the page and drag one guide down to -1/2 inch and another to -3 inches.

You may find it easier to click and drag the guides to the approximate location, then type in the specific Y Object Position values for each of the guidelines in the Properties bar located at the top of the screen.

Next, we’ll create two vertical guides for our left and right boundaries.

Click on the ruler at the left side of the page and drag one guideline across to 1/2” and another to 3”.

Again, you may find it easier to drag the guidelines to the approximate locations, then key in the 1/2” value for the first guide and the 3” value for the second guide in the X Object Position box in the Properties bar.

Importing a Graphic

Now we’re going to import a graphic and center it to the page. Here we’ll use a fish graphic (fish.wmf ) for this example, but you can use any graphic you prefer.

Start by clicking File at the top of the screen, then select Import from the drop-down menu.

Navigate to the file you’d like to Import, then select the file and click the Import button.

Now, click anywhere on the page to place the graphic.

Centering

Next, we’ll center the image to the page.

Make sure the object is still selected, then click the Object drop-down menu at the top of the screen, then Align and Distribute, then Center to Page.

You can also use the shortcut option of pressing the letter P on your keyboard to center the image to the page.

Resizing

Now we need to resize the fish image to fit inside our boundary guidelines.

To resize the graphic, we’ll click and drag on the top right resizing handle to resize the image and make it smaller.

By clicking on the top-right sizing handle, then holding the Shift key and dragging toward the center of the image, we can keep the proportions of the image the same as we make it smaller.

Drag the sizing handle until the right or left side of the fish graphic aligns with a vertical guideline.

Mirroring for Backside Engraving

As a final step before printing our graphic to the laser, we want to mirror the graphic for engraving on the bottom side of the glass coaster.

If there is text in your graphics, you want the text to read forward instead of backward once viewed from the top or other side of the piece. Engraving the back of glass will give you the best result when viewed through the other side, and doing so will help protect your engraving from wear and tear.

To mirror the graphic, select the graphic with the Pick Tool, then click on the Mirror Horizontally button in the Properties bar at the top of the screen.

Printing to the Laser

Next, we’ll print the file to the laser.

At the laser, we’ll gently place the coaster face-down onto our work area.

For the best results, place the coasters under one of the overhead IRIS positioning cameras.

At the control panel, select, the Jog icon, then use the Joystick to position the laser head over the coaster.

From the open Jog menu, select “Auto Focus.” The machine will automatically adjust the height of the table by using the plunger to detect the material then moving the table to the correct focal distance.

Select the Reset icon to reset the laser head.

Back in CorelDRAW, select File, then Print from the dropdown menu.

Set Epilog Engraver as your printer, and make sure “Match orientation and size” is selected as the Page setting. Then click the Print button.

The Epilog Dashboard will open with our file and the IRIS camera feed.

Click and drag the colored lines to expand the engraving area to include the glass coaster.

Then click and drag the graphic onto the glass coaster.

You can use your mouse’s scroll wheel to zoom in on the image and refine the graphic’s placement.

Over in the ‘Engrave’ process in the right-hand sidebar, let’s set our engraving parameters. We’ll set our resolution 300 DPI. When engraving glass, we don’t need a high resolution to achieve a quality engraving. We’re using a 120w laser, so we’ll set our speed to 60% and our power to 100%. Let’s also set our Dithering type to Stucki and our Engraving Direction to Bottom-Up.

Refer to your system manual for the recommended settings for your laser’s wattage.

Now that our settings are good to go, we can click “Print” to send the job to the laser.

At the laser, select the Job menu icon to see the list of available jobs, then select the job you sent to the machine. Press the Go/Stop button to start the glass engraving job. The Fusion Pro will get to work and within a couple of minutes your coaster will be complete!

Setting Up Your Page

Let’s start by creating a new file in CorelDRAW. Click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Then select New from the drop-down list.

Now enter your page size. Enter 4.5” for the page width and 4.5” for the page height. Then click OK.

Importing and Resizing a Graphic

Now we’re going to import a graphic onto the page. For this example we will use trees.wmf, but you can use any graphic you prefer.

Start by clicking File at the top of the screen, then select Import from the dropdown menu.

Navigate to the file you’d like to Import and select the file, then click the Import button.

Now, click anywhere on the page to place your graphic.

To center the image on the page, select Object from the menu bar.

Then select Align and Distribute, then Center to Page.

Now we’ll click and drag on the bottom right sizing handle to resize the image, and make it smaller. By holding down the shift key then clicking on the handle and dragging, we can keep the proportions of the image the same.

Next we’ll reposition the image by moving it up by about 1” on the page by clicking on the graphic and dragging it up.

Importing a Second Graphic

Now let’s import another image. Go to File > Import, and we’ll choose the deer file (deer.wmf). Then Press the Import button.

Click anywhere on the page to place the graphic.

This time we’ll use another way to resize the deer. Click the Lock Ratio button to keep the dimensions the same as we resize the graphic.

Enter 10% as the scale factor and press Enter to resize the image to 10% of its original size.

We’ll position the deer image to the bottom left side of the trees.

Adding Text to the Artwork

Now we’re ready to add text. Click on the text tool in the tool bar on the left.

Create a text box by clicking and dragging a rectangle next to the deer.

We’ll enter our text “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” Then press Enter and type “John Keats”.

Select the pick tool, select the text, and then change the font size to 8 pt.

Next select the right justify option to align the text to the right side of the text box. 8 pts. is a little small so we’ll go ahead and change that to 10 pts.

Before we move on let’s make the text box a little smaller. Select the Pick Tool, then click on the text box. Now click on the bottom middle sizing handle and drag it up to make the text box a little smaller.

Selecting, Grouping, and Resizing

Press Ctrl and A to select everything on the page.

Next we’ll group the items so they all stay together when we make changes. Click Object in the menu bar, then Group, then Group Objects.

Now we’ll center the images. Click Object, Align and Distribute, Center to Page.

Creating a Cut Line

Now let’s create a cut line. Click the rectangle tool, and then click and drag a rectangle around the image.

We’ll center the box we’ve drawn by using the shortcut of pressing the letter P on the keyboard. This will center the box to the page.

At the Laser

Next we’ll print the file to the laser.

At the laser, we’ll place the 4” wood square onto our work area.

For the best results, place the square under one of the overhead IRIS positioning cameras.

At the control panel, select the Jog icon, then use the Joystick to position the laser head over the wood square.

From the open Jog menu, select “Auto Focus.”

The machine will automatically adjust the height of the table by first using the plunger to detect the material, then moving the table to the correct focal distance.

Select the Reset icon to reset the laser head.

Printing to the Laser

Back in the CorelDRAW, select File, then Print from the dropdown menu.

Set Epilog Engraver as your printer, and make sure “Match orientation and size” is selected as the Page setting. Then click the Print button.

The Epilog Dashboard will open with our file and the IRIS camera feed.

Click and drag the colored lines to expand the engraving area to include the wood square.

Let’s zoom in a bit with our mouse scroll wheel.

Now click and drag to select the entire graphic, and click and drag to position the graphic onto the wood square.

Click the ‘Engrave’ process in the right-hand sidebar and let’s set our engraving parameters. We’re using a 120w laser, so we’ll set our resolution to 500 DPI, our speed to 100%, and our Power to 50%. Let’s also set our Dithering type to Stucki and our Engraving Direction to Bottom-Up.

Next open the ‘Vector’ process and set the Speed to 20%, the Power to 100%, and the Frequency to 10% as well.

Refer to your system manual for the recommended settings for your wattage of laser.

Now that our settings are good to go, we can click ‘Print’ to send the job to the laser.

Running the Job

At the laser, select the Job menu icon, then select the name of the current job. Press the Go/Stop button to start the Job.

The Fusion Pro will run the engraving process first, then it will run the vector cutting process.

Once the laser is finished, use a damp sponge or towel to remove any leftover residue or debris, and then you’re done!