Lesson Category: Zing

Description: Unbox your New Zing and get started!

Introduction:

Tools: Safety Glasses, Scissors, Utility Knife

Open the Box

Begin by using scissors or a utility knife to cut the box straps. Be sure to stand clear of the straps when cutting them, as they may pop out at high speed when cut.

Then remove the strapping and the wooden box topper.

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

Remove the Machine

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

The Zing 16 and Zing 24 range in weight from 95 lbs (43 kg) to 140 lbs (63.5 kg).

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

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

Included Items and Materials

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

Your Zing laser system will include:

• A power cord
• Ethernet cord
• USB cord
• Air Assist tube
• Lens cleaner
• Laser beam alignment target
• Driver Installation CD
• Quick Start Guide
• Owner’s Manual
• Training suite signup card & kit
• Vendor sample material kit (Note: Material samples may vary)

Record Settings

If your machine will boot up, we’ll start by writing down some settings that will save you time later. Press the Go and Pointer button at the same time to access the Function Menu and cycle through the headings by pressing the Go button. Write down the Serial number, IP Address, Subnet Mask and Gateway.

Next, press the Config button on the display panel and cycle through the menu by pressing the right arrow. Write down the X-Home, Y-Home, Laser Match, Stamp Match and System Unit.

Preparation

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

Open the display panel package you received and put on the anti-static strap. Clip the strap on to any metal part of the machine. Always wear the anti-static strap when handling the control board to avoid damaging the unit through static discharge.

Remove Old Display Panel

Loosen the two screws on the side of the display panel.

Grasp the two screws and pull the controller away from the engraver. A small amount of force will be required to remove the board from the machine as you disconnect the electrical connections.

Make sure the copper strips inside the control housing stay in place when you remove the board.

Install New Display Panel

Slide the new display unit into place, ensuring the tabs on the control unit fit into the grooves on the side of the housing. Push the display unit all the way into the slots until it is fully seated. Tighten the two screws to secure the display unit in place.

Plug the machine in and turn it on.

If you were able to log the function and configuration information from the machine, enter this information now.

Remove Side Panel

Begin by shutting off the laser and removing the power cord from the machine.

Remove the left side panel by removing the three screws on the side of the machine.

Remove the screw on the back of the machine.

Remove the left side panel by pulling it toward you.

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.

Unscrew the lens from underneath the carriage.

Begin by applying lens cleaning fluid to a cotton swab.

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

Screw the lens back into place underneath the carriage.

Next, from on top of the lens assembly, push the x-axis belt to one side and unscrew the mirror.

Gently clean the mirror with the cleaning fluid cotton swab.

Push the x-axis belt aside and screw the mirror back in, making it hand-tight.

X-Axis Assembly Mirror

For the mirror at the end of the x-axis assembly, use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four corner screws. Do not adjust the hex screws, as these control laser beam alignment.

Remove the mirror from its housing.

Then gently clean the mirror with the cleaning fluid cotton swab.

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

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.

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

Remove the four corner Phillips head screws from the top mirror. Once again, do not adjust the hex screws.

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

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

Periscope Housing (Bottom)

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

Remove the mirror and clean it with the cleaning fluid cotton swab. Reinsert the mirror, positioned so one hex screw is near the bottom and two are near the top.

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

Replace Side Panel

Reinstall the left side panel by reattaching the three screws on the side of the machine.

Tighten the screw on the back of the machine as well.

Then plug in the machine and turn it on.

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.

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.

Reset Button

Pressing the reset button will move the carriage back to its home position. It does not 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.

Speed Button

Moving down to the circular buttons, this is the speed button. Pressing the speed button during an engraving job or when the laser is idle will display the job speed sent to the laser. In raster mode you can change the speed of the job before you run your job or on the fly by pressing the up or down arrows. This is useful for testing a new material to find the perfect speed of the laser when engraving.

Power Button

The power button works identically to the speed button and 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.

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.

You can zero-out the read out by pressing the up and down keys simultaneously to generate a relative position of zero. This is useful for determining exactly how far from nominal focus you would like to be. Some materials, like acrylic, are better engraved when slightly out of focus.

Job Button

The job key displays the file name of the last job stored in memory. After pressing the job key, pressing the up or down arrows allows you to scroll through all of the saved jobs that are stored in the laser’s on-board memory.

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.

X/Y Off Button

Pressing the X/Y Off key disables the X and Y motors of the laser allows you to move the carriage by hand to any location on the table. It allows you to manually focus anywhere on the table or to create a temporary home position.

Configuration Button

The configuration button allows you to access a number of factory settings. Use the right arrow key to scroll through the options. The up and down keys raise and lower the value.

Data Light

This is the data light that will illuminate when data is being sent to the laser.

Laser TM

There are also several two-key configurations available. Laser TM activates the laser tickle mode by pressing Reset and Up arrow simultaneously.

Laser TI

Laser TI, or laser tickle duration, is accessed by pressing the reset and down arrow keys.

Auto Delete

Auto delete can be accessed by pressing reset and job keys at the same time and deletes every job after it has finished running.

Function Menu

Pressing the GO and Pointer keys simultaneously lets you access the Function Menu. Press the GO button to scroll through the serial number, IP Address, and more.

Reset Home Position

To reset your home position, press the X/Y Off and Reset keys together, and press the GO button to accept the restore.

This was a quick tour of the Epilog Zing laser’s display panel.

For more information, or to see a list of all functions that you can access from the panel, look at the control panel section of your manual.

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.

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 100 to 1000 DPI. The higher you set the resolution, the higher your engraving quality will be. Typically you will use 400 or 500 DPI for most materials you engrave.

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

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 “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.

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

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. If you choose frequency automatic, the laser will automatically adjust the pulsing of the laser to a value of 5000.

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.

In the drop-down box, you can select the sorting mode. It is set to “Optimize” as the 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 “Piece Size” setting is where you will set your page size dimensions to match the page size of your design.

Under the “Options” area, 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

This was a basic overview of the Epilog Zing 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.

Exhaust Option 1: Exhaust Motor Blower

The noisiest but most cost-effective exhaust option is a standard exhaust motor blower, such as the 2 horsepower motor blower shown below. It is very simple to set up.

Hook up the exhaust hose to the machine. Use a quick clamp to secure the hose to the machine.

Then, connect the other end of the hose to the intake port on your dust collecting blower.

Next, connect another exhaust hose to the out-take port of the blower and the other end to a wall vent or window.

Exhaust Option 2: Filtration System

Another option is to hook up your Zing laser to an internal filtration system.

These systems also have a simple set up, requiring only one exhaust hose to be connected from the machine to the filtration unit. Required exhaust flow rates for filtration systems are lower than the 350 CFM we require for external exhaust, because the filtration system will be placed directly adjacent to the laser system and does not exhibit the air-flow losses typically found with direct exhaust fans. Please contact your Epilog distributor to match an exhaust system to the Epilog Laser machine you are using.

These systems are ideal if you cannot run an exhaust line to the roof, or are looking to travel with the laser. The units typically use a HEPA/Carbon Charcoal filter to remove odor and smoke. There are several manufacturers of these types of filters that your distributor can help you choose between.

Exhaust Option 3: Outdoor Exhaust Unit

The ideal setup for the exhaust of a laser system in an office environment is to have an exhaust pipe mounted against the wall, which is then connects to a motor blower on the outside of the building to ventilate outdoors.

Flexible metal piping connects to the exhaust port on the back of the laser. The flexible portion of the tubing should be kept as short as possible to reduce air turbulence and to increase the air flow. Above the flexible tubing, we connect to a galvanized steel straight pipe. Your local HVAC professional can help you with setting this up.

We suggest putting the exhaust blower outside with an electrical switch near the machine to turn on and off the blower. This provides you with the quietest, most efficient operation.

Things to Keep in Mind

It’s always good to start by consulting with your local HVAC professional to see what is ideal for your specific situation. The Zing requires 350-400 CFM for external exhaust.

It’s important that either rigid or flexible metal ducting be used with the laser. Vinyl, plastic or other soft ducting is potentially flammable and should not be used unless provided by the filtration system manufacturer and made from fire-proof materials.

Control Panel

It all starts at the keypad. Our easy-to-use control panel allows you to access your job, start and stop the laser, focus for your project, and much more. On the LCD panel, you will see any current jobs at the machine. You can scroll through these jobs to the one you want to run.

Vector Cutting Grid

(Optional Feature) Here is the optional vector-cutting grid. This robust table with metal grid allows you to cut through all kinds of materials with minimal backside burning.

Engraving Table

(Standard Feature) When the cutting table is removed, here is your engraving table. When you’re not vector cutting, the engraving task plate provides a level flat surface for optimal engraving quality across the entire work area of your laser system. The table has two guide rulers that help with placement of your objects at the top left corner of the engraving table.

X-Axis Assembly

Here we have the I-beam, or X-Axis Assembly. It will initially be parked outside the engraving area, so you have better access to the laser bed to place items on the table. The I-beam is what carries the laser’s lens assembly, which slides left and right in a sweeping motion in the X-Axis direction.

Along the I-beam, you will find a series of holes along the bottom of the rail. This is the Air Assist curtain, which directs a constant stream of compressed air along the cutting surface, reducing the possibility of flaming, scorching, or charring when cutting through materials. The Air Assist curtain must be used in conjunction with a standard compressed air supply, or the optional standalone compressor offered by Epilog.

Lens Assembly

On the lens assembly, you will find the industrial-grade mirrors and lens, rated to over 500 watts. These are an integral part of Epilog’s optics system. It consists of a mirror that reflects the laser beam down through a focal lens.

Keeping your laser optics clean will help them perform their best, and it starts with fully accessible front-mounted mirrors that can be easily removed.

The spring-based manual focus gauge can be swung down as you focus the table to the correct height, then swung back to position out of the way on the I-beam.

Exhaust

At the back of the laser system, you will find the exhaust plenum. The top three slots are where the engraving area will be exhausted of all of the smoke, dust, and debris resulting from your engraving and cutting. The bottom three holes line up with the optional vector cutting grid, which operates as a vacuum suction table, pulling the air through the bottom of the cutting table.

Front Access Door

On the Zing 24, you’ll find the drop-down front door. This safety-interlocked door allows you to easily place larger items on the table through the front of the system.

Status Lights and Ports

On the right side of the laser is the system status lights. These will be used by technical support for diagnosis of issues.

Next to the system status lights you’ll find the auxiliary port and the Ethernet and USB ports that are used to connect your laser system to your computer.

At the bottom right corner of the side panel, you’ll find the main power switch, two AC breakers and where your power cord is attached to the system.

System Rear

Moving on to the back of the laser system, you’ll find a 4-inch exhaust plenum to which you’ll attach your exhaust fan or filtration system.

The anodized plate at the bottom right corner of the system is where you will find your serial number, which you will need if you find it necessary to contact Technical Support.

Air Intake

The left side of the system has six air intake holes for the laser’s heat sink fans.

Interior System Components

As we remove the right side panel of the system, we can see the inner workings of the machine.

Here you will find the DC power supply and X-Axis Motor. Here you can also see the Y-Axis rail and belt, as well as the Z-Axis Motor.

Under the top panel on the back of the system, you can see the Y-Axis drive system that moves the laser assembly forward and back, as well as the fan control board.

The bottom panel on the back of the system can be removed for easy cleaning of the inside of the exhaust area of the system.

Under the left access panel, we find the Y-Axis rail and belt. These allow the laser to move accurately from the front to the back of the system.

Here is the heart and soul of your laser machine. The CO2 laser tube.

This was a quick look at the inner workings of your Zing laser machine. Now it’s time to start engraving.

How do you know which DPI setting is right for your project?

Print quality is often determined by the resolution of an image, and is one of the main variables to consider when laser engraving. Resolution is expressed in DPI or dots per inch and is determined by the number of lines or dots that are engraved for every inch of movement. Each horizontal line of dots the laser produces is referred to as a raster line. A higher resolution selected in the print driver will make the dots engrave closer together, and will produce a higher quality result.

Although resolution does play a big part in engraving quality, keep in mind that engraving resolution is only one factor in determining image quality. The focus, brightness, and contrast elements of an image can have greater influence on the look of the final engraving than resolution alone. If low-quality artwork is used, even the highest resolution setting in the print driver will not improve the engraving. Also, keep in mind that image quality is subjective. Engraving a project at 300 DPI may be just fine for some images and customers, while 600 DPI is required as the absolute minimum for others.

These 3 examples exhibit qualities that will not produce the best engraving results.

The first example is a photograph taken at an event where the overall light is too bright and includes a very hazy look.

The second example is a low resolution logo provided as a 72 DPI image, rather than as vector artwork or in a vector format. 72 DPI is too low a resolution for a logo engraving project. It’s best to receive logo artwork as a vector image when possible.

And the third example is of a photograph that is very dark and includes very little contrast. These three photos illustrate some of the image issues that cannot be fixed with resolution settings alone at the laser.

Now we’ll discuss a bit more about how DPI works at the laser. This diagram shows the concept of raster lines and dots-per-inch (DPI), and the difference in dot density between 75, 300, and 600 DPI. Each dot represent a laser pulse, and the arrows represent the change in direction of the optics assembly for each raster line. Note how sparse the dots are at 75 DPI, and how the dots are very close and overlapping at 600 DPI.

How Resolution Affects a Job’s Completion Time

Generally, the time it takes to complete an engraving job is significantly affected by resolution. The higher the resolution, the more time it will take to complete an engraving job. While a higher resolution setting does increase the time it takes to complete an engraving, it allows you to achieve greater depth in materials like wood and rubber without having to reduce the speed of the laser. High resolution is also ideal for highly detailed wood engraving, such as the Epilog Aztec Calendar, and rubber stamps, which typically include small typefaces, intricate details, and more depth in the recessed areas.

There will be times when your customer requests a large number of pieces, and it will be important to minimize the time spent completing the job, without sacrificing quality. Optimizing a projects DPI by selecting a lower resolution will help reduce engraving time and increase profits.

These tiger photo engravings on anodized aluminum show the quality difference at 300, 400, and 600 DPI. Out of these examples, you can see the 600 DPI engraving produced a high-quality engraving and took 2 min and 44 secs to complete. But, the 400 DPI result is nearly just as good, and only took 1:49 seconds to complete.

As an example, if a customer ordered 100 of these tiger cards, then completing the 100 cards at 600 DPI would take around 4 hrs and 35 minutes to be completed, but engraving the project at 400 DPI would allow you to complete the project in just over 3 hours.

Combining DPI and Dithering Pattern for More Time Savings

There are other techniques to save you time without sacrificing engraving quality. Your Epilog Laser machine includes dithering pattern options, which eliminate the perceivable dot pattern you see when engraving at lower resolutions with the Standard dithering option.

In this example, note the dot pattern in the engraving on the left and the absence of the perceivable dot pattern in the example on the right. Each of these engravings were produced using 300 DPI, and the time to complete them was the same, but the one on the left was engraved using the Standard dithering pattern, while the engraving of the right was completed with the Stucki Dithering pattern.

Utilizing Epilog’s Stucki Dithering setting and engraving at 300 DPI produces a high-quality result similar to the 600 DPI, and also provides a large time saving advantage.

Applying this combination of settings to the previous project example of engraving 100 tiger cards, the engraving project would take only 2 hours and 17 minutes to complete, further increasing the time savings and profitability of this project.

As a final example and to further illustrate how DPI effects engraving, we’ve used a 50-watt Helix to engrave a grayscale clip art image, with settings of 45 percent speed and 100 percent power. The only thing that changed between each engraving is the resolution.

When it comes to settings and the final results of a project it can come down to a matter of personal preference as to which resolution looks better, but these photos show the dramatic difference resolution can make, especially when engraving grayscale images.

Matching Resolution Settings to Your Material

We recommend consulting your manual or the included material settings installed with your machine driver and the Epilog Job Manager.

75-200 DPI

Resolution settings in this range are typically used for non-production purposes where you want to experiment with image engraving location, or if you want to quickly produce a rough draft engraving. A low resolution can also be useful when engraving products that don’t require much material to be removed during engraving, such as fabric.

300 DPI

300 DPI is a versatile sweet spot for laser engraving. This setting is useful when engraving materials such as wood, glass, marble, plastic and other items that don’t benefit from the engraved dots being close together.

400 DPI

This resolution value is ideal for many applications. It combines very good image quality with fast engraving times. Many users like 400 DPI for all of their work.

600 DPI

600 DPI provides fine detail, depth, or is useful when high-end results are required.

1200 DPI

1200 DPI resolution is used for projects that require the best engraving quality possible, when engraving extremely small fonts, or when depth of engraving is the goal.

Things to Remember

• When it comes to settings and the look of the final result, personal preference is something to consider, but also try to minimize the time it takes to complete a project when possible.
• When experimenting with new products and materials, make sure to have extras on hand for dialing in the best settings and results.
• Be sure to consult your manual as a starting point for materials settings, and also utilize the epiloglaser.com website as a resource for additional product ideas and materials settings. We provide Sample Club articles monthly, and you can sign up to receive them at www.epiloglaser.com/resources/enews-signup.htm.