PhotoGraV class?

[Tammy Peruski]

Anyone know of a PhotoGraV class? I do so much better if someone shows me things than if I try to figure it out myself.

Thanks!

[Ron Chapellaz]

Hello Tammy and welcome to the forum. You may want to complete your profile such as location so that the members can furthur help you with your question. One of many classes pertaining to photo laser engraving is offered at the ARA next month in Las Vegas. This may be what you are looking for.

Simplifying the Process of Photo Prep for Laser Engraving
Mark Stanley, Gravograph/Atlantic Custom Engraving Solutions
2/24, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Here's your opportunity to streamline your photo prep for laser engraving and determine the proper laser settings for various materials. Mark Stanley will provide tips for choosing the right artwork, resources for dealing with color artwork, and guidelines for using software such as Gravostyle 5, CorelDRAW®, Adobe, and PhotoGRAV.

Check out http://www.aralasvegas.com/education.cfm for more classes being offered.
Hope this helps!

[Dan Hintz]

Tammy,

Search for the Gold Method here on SMC... plenty of ways to do what you want without the expense (and often hassle) of an extra piece of software like PhotoGrav.

[Tom Bull]

I use PhotoGrav a lot. My method depends on proper photo prep: start with good resolution, adjust to proper size, increase highlights and contrast as needed, remove background if you wish, convert to 8 bit grayscale, invert image if it goes onto glass or black material (all done in Corel Draw-not Paint), export as a grayscale that is .bmp. I then open the file in PhotoGrav, select material is ALWAYS cherry vertical grain, auto process, and save engraved. Re-open image in Corel Draw and use as needed for your project.
There is a good article here http://www.coreldrawpro.com/Library/CP-607.pdf on page 14 and following on photo prep for granite and look in another issue for marble prep. He uses Corel paint, but the priciple is the same.
Success with PhotoGrav relies on a good image to start with. Garbage in = garbage out.
A lot of folks don't like PhotoGrav, but it has been very good to me. I have tried some of the other methods and found them to be touchy about prepping your photo to get good results. I think in EVERY system, it requires a lot of practice to see what works.
One thing you don't want to do is resize your image after it is processed by PhotoGrav. That will change the dot size of the engraving, and can lead to all sorts of weirdness.

[Vicki Rivers]

Tom,

why do you always use the cherry grain material? Do you use that for glass and leather stuff, too?

[Frank Corker]

Vicki I think Tom is one of those that has found that the cherry settings generally give the best results on most materials and not those chosen by the Photograv team. Quite often the other settings give fiddly results and I believe the cherry gives a pretty good result all around. With glass the picture needs to be negative, that is different to wood which is always positive.

[Rodne Gold]

I also use cherry for everything , seems to work real well...

[Larry Bratton]

I also use cherry for everything , seems to work real well...

What!!!?? The publisher of the GOLD METHOD uses Photograv??? I am shocked

[Bill Cunningham]

Cherry.. The Swiss Army Knife of the Photograv world..