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Lesson Category: Mini / Helix

Laser Alignment

Mark the Alignment Target

On the control panel, press the maintenance button to bring up the maintenance menu on the display.

Use the up and down arrow buttons to scroll to ‘Align Laser’.

Then press the green ‘Go’ button.

The display should now say ‘UpKey–FireLaser’

Place the alignment target in the left side of the lens assembly.

Then place a piece of masking tape over the alignment target.

Manually move the lens carriage to the front right corner of the machine by moving the x-axis assembly forward and sliding the lens carriage to the right.

On the control panel, press the ‘Pointer’ button to turn on the red dot pointer.

On the control panel, briefly press the up arrow button to fire the laser.

Remove Panels

Remove the panel on the left side of the machine by using a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the four screws on the side and the two screws on the back.

Remove the panel on the back of the machine by using a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the eight screws holding it in place.

Align Red Dot to Laser

Locate the red dot pointer mount in the rear of the machine.

Use a 3/32” hex key to adjust the alignment screws on the red dot pointer mount and align the red dot to the burn mark on the alignment target.

If you have a long hex key, you can use the three holes in the top of the machine as guides to access the alignment screws.

The two laser beams are now aligned with each other.

Align First Mirror

Remove the tape from the alignment target.

Move the lens carriage to the back left of the machine.

Use a 3/32” hex key to adjust the alignment screws on the mirror at the bottom of the periscope.

Align the red dot to the center of the alignment target.

Align Second Mirror

Move the lens carriage to the front left of the machine.

Use a 3/32” hex key to adjust the alignment screws on the mirror at the top of the periscope.

Align the red dot to the center of the alignment target.

Move the lens carriage back to the back left corner of the machine and make sure the red dot is still within the center circle of the alignment target.

If the red dot is not properly positioned, continue to adjust the alignment screws on the mirrors until you can move the lens carriage between the front and back corners on the left side of the machine without the red dot leaving the center of the alignment target.

Align Third Mirror

Now move the lens carriage to the back right corner of the machine.

Use a 3/32” hex key to adjust the alignment screws on the mirror at the end of the x-axis assembly.

Align the red dot to the center of the alignment target.

Move the lens carriage to the front right corner of the machine.

Use a 3/32” hex key to adjust the alignment screws on the mirror at the end of the x-axis assembly.

Align the red dot to the center of the alignment target.

Move the lens carriage to the various corners of the machine and make sure the red dot is still within the center circle of the alignment target at all corners.

If the red dot is not consistently positioned at the center, go back to the first mirror alignment step and repeat the adjustment process until you can move the lens carriage to all four corners without the red dot leaving the center of the target.

Reinstall Panels

Replace the panel on the back of the machine by using a Phillips head screwdriver to insert the eight screws that hold it in place.

Replace the panel on the left side of the machine by using a Phillips head screwdriver to insert the four screws on the side and the two screws on the back.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Dual Power Supply Replacement

Remove Back Panel

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

Loosen the 8 screws on the back of the machine and remove the back service panel.

Locate the two power supplies.

Disconnect Electrical Leads

Disconnect four of the electrical leads.

Disconnect the two connectors holding the green with yellow stripe, black, and white leads.

Disconnect the farthest left connector holding the black and red lead.

Disconnect the other connector holding the red and black lead. This connector is directly under the left edge of the laser tube.

Remove Old Power Supplies

With a Philips head screw driver, unscrew the green screws located on each side of both of the power supplies.

Remove the two power supplies.

Install New Power Supplies

Before installing, position the new dual power supply, ensuring the connectors are facing each other in the middle, and the green captive screws are on the bottom.

Install the dual power supply, tightening the green captive screws.

Reconnect Electrical Leads

Reconnect the four electrical leads.

Reconnect the two connectors with the green with yellow stripe, black, and white leads, ensuring the short cables connect to each other and the long cables connect to each other.

Reconnect the two connectors holding the red and black leads. The longer of the leads goes to the farthest left connector. The shorter lead connects to the lead from the laser tube.

Tuck in the wires under the power supply.

Replace Back Panel

Replace the back service panel and tighten all 8 screws.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Unpacking the Laser

Mini

We’ll begin with the Epilog Mini.

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

Cutting the box straps around the packaged Mini.

Then remove the strapping and the wooden box topper.

Lifting off the wooden box topper.

Next, cut the tape securing the box closed, open the box and remove the cardboard topper with attached foam inserts.

Opening the box itself. Removing the cardboard topper from inside the box.

Cut the tape holding the bag closed and spread the bag over the sides of the box.

Cutting the tape that secures the plastic bag around the machine. Spreading the bag over the sides of the box.

The Mini 18 and Mini 24 range in weight from 70 lbs. to 90 lbs.

With the help of an additional person, lift your Mini laser system out of the box and place it on a sturdy level surface.

Two men carrying the Mini onto a table.

Make sure not to discard the packaging material at this time.

The 'Do Not Discard Packagin Material' Sign on the lid of the machine.

Open your Mini laser system’s top door, and remove the included items from the cabinet, then open the box of included items.

Removing the cardboard insert that covers the materials included inside the machine.

Mini Included Items

The items included with the machine layed out on a table.

Your Mini laser system includes:

  • A Power cord
  • Ethernet cord
  • USB cord
  • Air Assist Tube
  • Lens Cleaner
  • Laser Beam Alignment Target
  • Driver CD Disc
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Owner’s Manual
  • Training Site Signup Card & Kit
  • Vendor Material Kit (Note: Material samples may vary)

Helix

If you have an Epilog Helix, this part is slightly different.

Cut the box straps.

Cutting the Helix box straps.

Remove the wooden box topper, then also remove the cardboard box.

Removing the wooden box topper. Lifting the cardboard box off of the Helix.

Then remove the top foam pads and the four wood and foam corner supports.

Lifting off one of the corner wood and foam supports.

Remove the plastic bag, then cut and remove the plastic wrapping.

Lifting off the plastic bag covering. Cutting the plastic wrapping around the Helix's body.

Unscrew and remove the raised wooden edge located on one side of the pallet.

Unscrewing the right screw of the raised wooden edge on the Helix pallet. The pallet without the raised wooden edge.

Remove the wheel ramps from underneath the machine.

A wheel ramp being pulled out from underneath the Helix.

Make sure all four wheels are in the locked position.

A hand putting a wheel into the locked position.

Lift the Helix on one side and remove the foam padding underneath.

Removing the foam padding underneath one side of the machine.

Lift the Helix on the other side and remove the rest of the foam padding.

Removing the foam padding underneath the other side of the machine.

Affix the ramps to the side of the pallet by inserting the metal edges into the slits located where the wooden edge used to be. Make sure the ramps are aligned with the wheels.

Close up of a wheel ramp in position on the side of the pallet. A wide shot showing both ramps lined up with the Helix's wheels.

Unlock all four wheels.

A hand switching a wheel to the unlocked position.

Wheel the Helix off the pallet and down the ramps. Be sure to pull the machine, not push.

The Helix being pulled halfway down the ramp.

Cleaning-Your-Encoder Strip

Remove Assembly Cover

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

Flipping the machine's power switch.

Loosen, but do not remove, the five Phillips head screws along the back of the x-axis assembly, as well as the two screws on the front.

Loosening one of the screws on the back of the X-Axis Assembly.Loosening one of the screws on the front of the X-Axis Assembly.

Lift and remove the assembly cover.

Lifting off the X-Axis Assembly cover.

Clean Encoder Strip

The encoder strip is the tinted transparent film running along the length of the X-Axis Assembly.

Close-up of the linear encoder strip.

Add several drops of dish soap to roughly 1/4 cup of distilled water and mix the solution together.

Pouring a couple drops of dish soap into distilled water.

Dip a cotton swab into the soapy water.

Dipping a cotton swab into soapy water.

With the optics positioned to one side of the x-axis assembly, run the cotton swab along the front of the encoder strip. Then run the cotton swab along the back and top of the encoder strip as well.

Using a cotton swab to clean the front of the linear encoder strip.Using a cotton swab to clean the back of the linear encoder strip.

Using a cotton swab to clean the top of the linear encoder strip.

Move the lens assembly along the x-axis towards the end of the encoder strip you just cleaned.

Pushing the lens assembly along the X-Axis.

On the remaining, uncleaned portion of the encoder strip, run the cotton swab along the front of the strip, then along the back, and finally along the top.

Cleaning the front of the linear encoder strip.Cleaning the back of the linear encoder strip.

Cleaning the top of the linear encoder strip.

The encoder strip is now clean.

Reinstall Assembly Cover

Return the X-Axis Assembly cover to the X-Axis, sliding it over the loosened screws.

Putting the cover back on the X-Axis Assembly.

Tighten all seven Philips head screws.

Screwing in a screw on the back of the X-Axis Assembly.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Plugging the power cord into the machine.

Bearing Rails

Remove Assembly Cover

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

Flipping the machine's power switch.

Loosen, but do not remove, the five Phillips head screws along the back of the X-Axis Assembly, as well as the two screws on the front.

Loosening one of the screws on the back of the X-Axis Assembly.Loosening one of the screws on the front of the X-Axis Assembly.

Lift and remove the X-Axis Assembly cover.

Lifting off the X-Axis Assembly cover.

Clean Bearing Rail

Position the lens assembly to one side.

Apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton swab.

Pouring rubbing alcohol onto a cotton swab.

Clean one end of the bearing rail by running the cotton swab along the top and bottom of the rail. Repeat this process until the cotton swab comes away clean, using new cotton swabs when the old ones become dirty.

Running a cotton swab along the top of the bearing rail.Running a cotton swab along the bottom of the bearing rail.

Move the lens assembly along the X-Axis towards the end of the bearing rail you just cleaned.

Pushing the lens assembly towards the end of the X-Axis Assembly.

Apply rubbing alcohol to another cotton swab.

On the remaining, uncleaned portion of the bearing rail, run the cotton swab along the top and bottom of the rail, repeating until the cotton swabs come away clean.

Running a cotton swab along the top of the bearing rail.Running a cotton swab along the bottom of the bearing rail.

Apply Bearing Grease

Next, apply a small amount of bearing grease to one spot on the top and bottom of the bearing rail.

Applying bearing grease to the top of the bearing rail.Applying bearing grease to the bottom of the bearing rail.

Move the lens assembly left and right along the length of the bearing rail at least five times to spread the grease evenly across the assembly’s path.

Moving the lens assembly back and forth along the bearing rail.

Reinstall Assembly Cover

Return the cover to the X-Axis Assembly, sliding it over the loosened screws.

Putting the cover back on the X-Axis Assembly.

Tighten all seven Philips head screws.

Screwing in a screw on the back of the X-Axis Assembly.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Plugging the power cord into the machine.

Cleaning Your Optics

Remove Left Side Panel

Start by shutting off the laser and remove the power cord from the machine.

Flipping the machine's power switch.

Remove the left side panel by removing the four Phillips head screws on the side of the machine and the two screws on the back of the machine.

Removing the screws on the left panel's main face.Removing the screws on the left panel's back face.

Remove the left side panel by pulling it toward you.

Pulling the left panel off of the chassis.

The Epilog Mini and Helix’s optics system includes four mirrors, an optical window, and a lens. Near the back of the machine is the periscope housing that directs the laser beam from the laser tube to the top of the machine.

The Mini/Helix lens periscope.

This contains a mirror at the bottom and at the top, as well as a window across from the top mirror where the beam exits the housing.

The beam then travels to the end of the x-axis assembly, where a third mirror directs it down the x-axis of the machine.

The mirror at the end of the X-Axis Assembly.

Finally, a fourth mirror directs the beam down toward the work area through the main lens, which focuses the beam for cutting and engraving.

The lens assembly.The bottom of the lens assembly.

Optics Overview

The mirrors in the periscope housing are enclosed, and will likely require cleaning less often than the other components of the optics system. The other components are exposed to dust, smoke, and other debris and should be cleaned regularly as part of your routine maintenance.

Lens Assembly

Let’s start with the lens assembly.

Begin by applying lens cleaning fluid to a cotton swab.

Applying lens cleaning fluid to a cotton swab.

Gently clean both sides of the lens with the cotton swab.

Cleaning the top of the lens with a cotton swab.Cleaning the bottom of the lens with a cotton swab.

Then gently clean the mirror above the lens.

Cleaning the lens assembly mirror.

Next, gently clean the mirror at the end of the x-axis assembly.

Cleaning the mirror at the end of the X-Axis Assembly.

Periscope Housing (Top)

For the outside of the window at the top of the periscope housing, gently clean it with the cleaning fluid cotton swab.

Cleaning the outside of the window at the top of the periscope.

Next, let’s clean the components inside the periscope housing.

Remove the four corner Phillips head screws from the top mirror. Do not adjust the hex screws, as these are used to control laser beam alignment.

Removing the Phillips head screws securing the top periscope mirror.

Next, remove the mirror. The periscope housing mirrors may be attached with an adhesive layer, and a tool like a flat-head screwdriver can be useful to help pry the mirrors away from the housing.

Removing the top periscope mirror with a flathead screwdriver.

Clean the mirror with the cleaning fluid cotton swab.

Cleaning the top periscope mirror.

While the inside of the periscope housing is accessible, use the cleaning fluid cotton swab to clean the inside of the window at the top of the housing.

Cleaning the inside of the window at the top of the periscope.

Then reinsert the mirror, positioned so two of the hex screws are near the bottom and one is near the top. Reinsert the four Phillips head screws, loosely at first, tightening once everything is lined up.

Reinserting the screws to secure the top periscope mirror.

Periscope Housing (Bottom)

Finally, remove the four corner Phillips head screws from the bottom mirror. Do not adjust the hex screws.

Removing the Phillips head screws securing the bottom periscope mirror.

Remove the mirror and clean it with the cleaning fluid cotton swab.

Removing the bottom periscope mirror with the help of a flathead screwdriver.Cleaning the bottom periscope mirror.

Reinsert the mirror, positioned so two hex screws are near the bottom and one is near the top.

Reinsert the four Phillips head screws, loosely at first, tightening once everything is lined up.

Reinserting the screws to secure the bottom periscope mirror.

Replace Side Panel

Reinstall the left side panel by reattaching the four screws on the side of the machine and the two screws on the back of the machine.

Putting on the right side panel.

Inserting the screws on the main face of the left side panel.Inserting the screws on the back of the left side panel.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

Plugging the power cord into the machine.

Installing the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment

Installing the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment

To begin, make sure your machine is plugged in and powered on.

We then suggest opening the front door on your machine you so you can view the vertical position of the machine’s table.

At the control panel, press the Focus button to enter Focus Mode.

Then press down arrow button to lower the table.

Lower the table as low as you can while still being able to access the table’s Crumb Tray.

Press the Reset button to exit Focus Mode.

Next, power off the machine and unplug the power cord.

Next, flip up the three rulers securing your Vector Cutting Table or engraving Task Plate.

Remove the Vector Cutting Table or engraving Task Plate.

If you didn’t earlier, open the front door on your machine now.

Next, remove the Crumb Tray from the table by first flipping out the two release tabs on the Crumb Tray’s front face, then sliding the Crumb Tray out through the front panel opening.

You can now close the front panel door.

Next, remove the Task Plate levelling and support bar that runs down the center of the table area.

It’s now time to insert the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment. You’ll notice the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment has pins on it’s bottom side. These pins line up with holes located on the bottom of the table tray.

Insert the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment, lining up the pins on rotary attachment with the holes in the table.

Next, double check that the machine is powered off. THE MACHINE MUST BE POWERED OFF WHEN THE RIM-DRIVE ROTARY ATTACHMENT IS PLUGGED INTO OR UNPLUGGED FROM THE MACHINE.

With the machine powered off, plug the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment’s white connector into the port at the back of the table area. The white connector is a keyed connector and will only insert in one direction.

Now, plug in and power on the machine.

The machine now knows that the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment is installed and will automatically change its Home Position to a point directly above the center point of the drive wheels of the attachment.

The Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment is now installed and ready for use.

Uninstalling the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment

To uninstall the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment, begin by powering off and unplugging the machine. THE MACHINE MUST BE POWERED OFF WHEN THE RIM-DRIVE ROTARY ATTACHMENT IS PLUGGED INTO OR UNPLUGGED FROM THE MACHINE.

With the machine powered off, unplug the attachment’s white connector from the back of the table area.

Manually push the horizontal gantry to the back of the machine to provide clearance to remove the rotary attachment.

Remove the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment from the machine.

Open the front panel door. Then reinsert the Crumb Tray by sliding it back into position and securing the release tabs.

You can then close the front panel door.

Place the Task Plate levelling and support bar back in its position down the center of the table area.

Place your Vector Cutting Table or engraving Task Plate back into the machine.

Lower the rulers around the Vector Cutting Table or engraving Task Plate.

Now, plug in and power on the machine.

The machine now knows the Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment is no longer installed and will automatically change its Home Position back to the back left corner of the machine.

The Rim-Drive Rotary Attachment is no longer installed and your machine is now ready for traditional use.

Control Panel Tour

Go Button

The first button on the control panel is the green Go key. Pressing this button starts or resumes a job. Once the job starts, the display changes to show a job timer and the engraving resolution. The timer is a useful production tool that displays the elapsed time of engraving.

The Go button in the control panel.

The job timer and engraving resolution displayed on the LCD panel.

Pause Button

This is the pause button that pauses the lens carriage and the laser beam during a job. If the key is pressed during raster engraving, the lens carriage will stop on either the far left or right of the engraving line that is in process. In vector mode, the lens carriage will stop at the end of line segment or the next line node location.

A job displayed as paused in the control panel.

Reset Button

Pressing the reset button will move the carriage back to its home position. It won’t erase the job from the laser system’s memory; rather it will stop the engraving job in process and send the carriage back to its home position.

The Reset button on the control panel.

Set Home Button

This is the set home button. Pressing the Set Home key will set this new position as your temporary home position. This temporary home now becomes your new upper left corner of your page, or if you are using Center Engraving, your center position.

The Set Home button on the control panel.

X/Y Off Button

The X/Y Off key disables the X and Y motors and allows you to move the carriage by hand to any location on the table. After pressing X/Y Off, press the Go button to disable the axis or the pause button to cancel the operation. Moving the carriage by hand lets you perform several functions, including manually focusing anywhere on the table, setting a temporary home position, and accurately determining the X and Y axis location. When you disable the axes and move the carriage by hand, the X and Y coordinates display on the LCD panel.

The X/Y Off setting in the control panel.

Red Dot Pointer

The Red Dot Pointer is a toggle switch that turns the laser system’s red dot pointer on or off. This is used for a visual representation of where the laser will fire or setting a custom home position. When active, the light will turn green.

The Red Dot Pointer displayed as 'On' in the control panel.

Focus Button

Pressing the focus button allows you to raise or lower the table by pressing the up or down arrow keys. When in focus mode, the LCD displays a digital readout of the relative location of the table.

The Focus button on the control panel.

Job Save Button

The Job Save button will save the job shown on the display into permanent memory. You can save ten jobs of 1 MB or less, or five jobs of 2 MB or less.

The Job Save button on the control panel.

Job Delete Button

The Job Delete button will delete the job that is shown on the display, and will delete both permanent and temporary jobs at the machine.

The Job Delete button in the control panel.

Jobs Button

Pressing the jobs button displays the file name of the last job stored in memory. After pressing the job key, press the up or down arrows to scroll through all jobs in the system.

A job displayed on the control panel.

A second job displayed on the control panel.A third job displayed on the control panel.

Power Button

The power button displays the power of the job sent to the laser. In raster mode you can adjust the power of the job by selecting the power button then pressing the up or down arrow. This can be performed on the fly as the laser runs, and is helpful when testing settings on a new material.

The Power button and info on the control panel.

Speed Button

The speed button works identically to the power button. In raster mode you can adjust the speed of the job by selecting the speed button, then pressing the up or down arrow. This can be performed as the laser runs.

The Speed button and info on the control panel.

Configuration Button

The Config Button accesses many of the machine’s settings, including X home, Y home, rotary home, and much more. Scroll through these by pressing the right arrow key.

The Config Menu in the control panel.

The X Home setting in the Config Menu.

Maintenance Button

The Maintenance button provides two menu options – Restore Home and Align laser to be used when realigning the laser tube.

The Maintenance Menu in the control panel.

The Restore Home setting in the control panel.The Align Laser setting in the control panel.

Data Light

The data light will illuminate when a job is being received at the laser. Once the job has fully arrived at the laser, the light will turn off.

The Data Light button on the control panel.

This was a quick walkthrough of the many functions available with Epilog Mini and Helix laser systems.

Job Manager Tour

Activating a Laser

The first time you open the job manager, you’ll see a tab for each product line.

You will need to activate your laser system to get started. Click the correct tab for your laser, then your system. You can activate multiple machines if you have more than one laser.

To activate your machine, start by giving your machine a name. Choose your laser from the dropdown list of printers. This is very important. If you do not choose the correct printer, you will not be able to print to the Epilog Job Manager.

Select the correct machine series, machine type, and laser power. The laser power is very important because it is the setting the Job Manager will use to automatically load the proper material settings database files for your specific wattage of laser.

Then click the save button.

Your new laser has been activated in the Job Manager and appears in the left panel.

Use the Add or Delete keys to add additional machines or to remove a laser. The Job Manager is now ready to accept jobs from the Print Driver.

Printing to the Epilog Job Manager

Create a file in your graphics software, and set your laser parameters in the print driver.

In the print driver, you’ll see a selection available under Center Engraving. You can choose to print to your laser system, the Job Manager, or both. This allows you to send your job to the Job Manager without sending it to the laser, so you can then print the job directly from the Job Manager at a later time, without accessing your graphics software.

Once you’ve finished with your job settings, click OK, then click the Print button to send your job to the Job Manager.

Now, click the Jobs tab. This is an easy way to set up an entire day’s worth of jobs all in one place.

Organizing Your Print Jobs

All of your new print jobs will be displayed in the Uncategorized folder. Click on your job to highlight it.

Now you’re able to Print, Edit, Preview, or Delete this job using the available icons.

Creating and Deleting Folders

Click the Add Jobs Folder icon to add folders. You can add as many folders as you like, and organize the folders in any way you prefer.

Creating Subfolders

First, in the left panel, highlight the Job folder to which you want to add a subfolder.

Now, click the Add Subfolder icon and type the name you’d like to use for the subfolder into the Add Subfolder field.

Then click the checkmark to create the subfolder.

Moving an Uncategorized Job into a Subfolder

When you highlight a subfolder, you’ll see From Uncategorized at the bottom right side of the folder.

Click From Uncategorized to move a job from the Uncategorized folder to this subfolder. Select the job or jobs you want to move, then click the OK button to move the job(s) to the subfolder.

Moving Jobs Between Folders

You can also move any job to another folder or subfolder in the Job Manager. Start by double clicking the job, then select the folder and subfolder from the dropdown menus at the top to choose where you’d like to save the job. You can now save the job with the same name, or save it with a new name. You can also modify the laser parameters and save them with the job.

Once you’re finished, click Save to confirm.

Using the Material Settings Tab Configurations

The Material Settings tab stores all of the suggested laser parameters, like Speed, Power, and Frequency, for specific materials. Let’s look at how to load material settings for an existing job. These settings were loaded based on the wattage specified in the laser system tab when you set up your machine. To use the material settings that were automatically loaded into the Job Manager, go to the Jobs tab and double click on the job. Then click the Import button in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Navigate to the material settings you need by selecting the folder on the left, then the material setting in the main panel.

Then click the Save button.

Your new settings have now been automatically applied to your job file. You can now save this file, save the file under a different name, or print this from the window.

Previewing Your Job

To view a preview of your Job, double click on the job in the Job tab, then click the Preview tab option.

If you need to see a fullscreen version of your job, you can click on the Maximize button in the top right corner of the window.

In the Preview panel, you can preview the Combined, Raster, or Vector components of your job by using the selection buttons at the top right corner of the panel.

Selecting Raster or Vector will show only the Raster or Vector components of the job, respectively. Selecting Combined will show both Raster and Vector components. The preview mode is very useful in identifying unwanted vector components.

Using the Search Feature

The Job Manager comes equipped with a powerful search function. Simply type in part of a filename and press Enter to find all files containing a word or name.

You can organize the search results by Standard, Created, Last Printed, or Alphabetically, which can be helpful when trying to find a specific file.

Job History

The Job Manager allows you to see a full print history of a job, including settings you used in each print. To access the history of a job, double click on the job, then select the History tab.

The History panel shows you the history of this job – what machine it was printed to, when it was first printed, all subsequent prints, and all laser parameters used. You can modify, print, or save from this panel using the listed settings or new settings. The new settings will be saved as the next print job, complete with timestamp and date.

Color Mapping

To access the color mapping settings used in a file, double click on the file to open the job information panel, then click the Colors tab.

From this panel, you can modify color settings, save as a new job, save as the same job, print, or preview.

Changing Job Manager Settings

You can access the program settings by clicking on the gear at the top right of the window.

On this screen, you can set several different Job Manager settings. In the Display tab, you can choose from several Language options, and change the Default Length Units to Inches, Millimeters, or Centimeters.

In the Alerts tab, you can activate or deactivate confirmation alerts for the deletion of machines, folders, subfolders, jobs, materials, and pages.

The Database tab allows you to create a database backup or restore a previous database. You can also clear the entire database, clear all jobs, or clear the Uncategorized folder.

We are constantly adding new features to the Job Manager. You can sign up for notifications at epiloglaser.com/register.

Print Driver Tour

General Tab

We’ll start on the General tab.

First, at the top left corner of the driver you’ll find the “Resolution” settings, which can be set from 75 to 1200 DPI. The higher you set the resolution, the higher your engraving quality will be. Typically you will use 400 or 600 DPI for most materials you engrave.

The Resolution settings in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Next, the “Job Type” area is where you choose between Raster, Vector, or Combined modes, which includes both engraving and cutting within the same job.

The Job Type settings in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Raster Setting” area is where you will set your speed and power settings, from 1 to 100%. You can find suggested speed and powers for different materials in your manual.

The Raster Settings in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Engrave Direction” setting can be set to Top-Down or Bottom-Up by clicking the arrow button or using the drop-down menu.

The Engrave Direction setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Image Dithering” setting is a drop-down menu where you can choose between different ways for the laser to interpret the dot pattern in your file. There are three clipart modes: Standard, Brighten, and Low Res when running lower resolution images. The next three modes, Floyd Steinberg, Jarvis, and Stucki are all used for different types of photographs.

The Image Dithering setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Next, you can set your Vector settings. Start with your speed and power settings, setting each from 1 to 100%.

The Vector Settings in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The Vector cutting frequency ranges from 10 to 5000 Hz. This is the pulse rate of the laser as it cuts. A low frequency will produce a dotted line, often used for scoring paper, while a high frequency, where the laser beam is on continuously, is often used for cutting acrylic to create a flame polished edge.

The Vector cutting frequency setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Vector Sorting” checkbox will determine the order of your cut lines. With Vector Sorting off, the laser will cut in the order that your objects or lines were created.

The Vector Sorting setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

In the drop-down box, you can select the sorting mode. It is set to “Optimize” as a default. Selecting “Inside-Out” sorting will first cut out the most interior items, then outer ones. For example, the letter O will first cut the interior circle, followed by the outer one.

Selecting “Optimize” sorting chooses the next closest starting node.

Choose Frequency Automatic to automatically set all frequency settings to the full 5000 Hz.

The Frequency Automatic checkbox in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Piece Size” setting is where you will set your page size dimensions to match the page size of your design.

The Piece Size settings in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Under the Options area of the driver, check Auto Focus to have the machine automatically find the right height for engraving or cutting at the first point of engraving.

The Auto Focus checkbox in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The Center-Engraving checkbox will enable the center-engraving features of the laser. Choose your new home position and the laser will center your engraving around that position. You can choose between left-center, top-center, page-center, and center-center positioning.

The Center-Engraving setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Then you can choose to send the project directly to the Laser…

The 'Send to Laser' setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

…or to also send the print job to the Job Manager by checking “Send to Manager” for quick access later.

The 'Send to Manager' setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Advanced Tab

Next, we’ll move on to the Advanced tab at the top of the screen.

The first area of this tab is the “Raster Type” setting. Typically you will be operating the laser in Basic mode.

The Basic Raster Type setting in the Legend print driver.

3D mode changes how the laser looks at the grayscale images in your design, and will change the laser power applied to each dot, creating a 3D gradient effect on your material.

The 3D Raster Type setting in the Legend print driver.

Stamp mode is used to enable the laser’s rubber stamp settings.

The Stamp Raster Type setting in the Legend print driver.

Under “Stamp Settings”, the Shoulder setting adjusts the angle of the sides of the stamp.

The Shoulder Stamp Setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Widening” setting adjusts the boldness of the characters.

The Widening Stamp Setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Selecting the “Mirror” checkbox automatically inverts the artwork for you.

The Mirror Stamp Setting in the EPilog Legend print driver.

Selecting the “Fence” checkbox tells the laser you have created an outer border on each stamp on the sheet.

The Fence Stamp Setting in the Epilog Legend print driver.

When you receive a notification of a firmware update on your system, select the “Update Firmware” checkbox, then load the file to start the firmware installation process.

The Update Firmware section of the Epilog Legend print driver.

Under Language, you can change the language displayed on the print driver.

The Language drop-down in the Epilog Legend print driver.

For users that prefer the Legacy print driver Epilog has provided, select the “Classic UI” checkbox.

The Classic UI checkbox in the Epilog Legend print driver.

The “Configurations” area of the driver allows you to save and access material and job settings. When your settings are perfect for a project, save them for the next time you need to run that job. You can also load our suggested material settings for materials into the driver from the driver download page on our website.

The Configurations settings in the Legend print driver.

Color Mapping Tab

Finally, we’ll look at the “Color Mapping” Tab at the top.

Color Mapping lets you set different speeds and powers to different colors within your artwork. Click the checkbox to enable the “Color Mapping” settings.

The Color Mapping checkbox in the Epilog Legend print driver.

Change the speed, power, and frequency for each color and whether it will activate in raster, vector, or combined mode.

The laser settings section of the Color Mapping tab in the Epilog Legend print driver.

When you done adjusting your settings, click the right arrow to apply your new settings.

The right arrow button in the Color Mapping tab.

This was a basic overview of the Epilog Mini and Helix print driver. When you are done adjusting your settings, click the OK button to print the job to the laser or to send it to the Job Manager.