tips on how to achieve a V-cut type of engraving for letters.

[Allan Rabanales]

I finally purchased my laser, thanks to a lot of help from the creek.
I am still a total noob but I am learning.

I am trying to figure out how to have my font print in a V cut style. I want the letters to have a groove style instead of being straight down.

I am open to any ideas and sorry for this elementary question.

[David Somers]

Allan,

Epilog has this tutorial on their site that helps simulate a v cut. See if this is what you are looking for.

http://support.epiloglaser.com/artic...ylic-and-glass

Dave

[Allan Rabanales]

Thanks Dave.
This effect is what I am looking for. Is there an easier way to do several layers at the same time though? For example, if I have a paragraph to engrave it would take me forever to do each letter individually.

[Ernest Martin]

Does your engraver have the stamp printing option. On our one Epilog we can use the stamp driver to create somewhat of a bevel edge. I don't know if that would work at all for you

[Mike Null]

There is a relatively simple way to do it in Corel. Take the letter, outline it and remove the fill. Use the contour tool then if needed break apart the contour group and select the colors as needed.

This doesn't solve the problem of doing multiple letters though.

[David Somers]

Unfortunately I am not aware of a way to do it more quickly off the top of my head. You really end up treating each letter or number as an individual graphic using either the Epilog method or Mike's suggestion above.

I would be tempted to do the whole alphabet once. You would get pretty quick at the process. And then you would have it all done for future use. Then you could take the letters you need for the paragraphs and copy/paste them in as needed. Time spent up front would benefit you later on.

Or, a search of fonts might come up with one in this format to begin with? If you were lucky? Haven't looked for one though.

Any other Corel afficionados out there have a more efficient way of handling this?

Dave

[Allan Rabanales]

Does your engraver have the stamp printing option. On our one Epilog we can use the stamp driver to create somewhat of a bevel edge. I don't know if that would work at all for you

I do have the stamp option. I didn't even know that was there. I will give it a shot.

Unfortunately I am not aware of a way to do it more quickly off the top of my head. You really end up treating each letter or number as an individual graphic using either the Epilog method or Mike's suggestion above.

I would be tempted to do the whole alphabet once. You would get pretty quick at the process. And then you would have it all done for future use. Then you could take the letters you need for the paragraphs and copy/paste them in as needed. Time spent up front would benefit you later on.

Or, a search of fonts might come up with one in this format to begin with? If you were lucky? Haven't looked for one though.

Any other Corel afficionados out there have a more efficient way of handling this?

Dave

If the stamp method doesn't work out I'll just have to start working on doing the alphabet. :/

Allan

[Gary Hair]

Allan - with all the work necessary to create v-carved letters, why not just buy a rotary engraver and do it the right way? I have to say that in my 8+ years of lasering, nobody has ever complained about lasered letters nor has anyone requested v-carved letters. Unless you have a customer (or customers) bringing in lots of work, I wouldn't bother - and if it's that much work then why not buy the right equipment to do the job?

[Allan Rabanales]

Gary. I might look into a rotary in the future, but now the laser is all I have. The only reason that I was trying to get the v type cut is because it looks a little more appealing in some decorative flourishes and text. I will try the stamp method that adds a shoulder to the cut. If it doesn't work I will not worry about it anymore. HHmmmm.....a rotary.

[David Somers]

Allan,

I was hoping I would get time this evening to look in Corel for you but didn't unfortunately. My pea brain says what you want is the Bevel effect. You could take a paragraph of text, select it all and if I remember right, you can go to the affect menu and choose Bevel and then control the degree of beveling you get. I am afraid I can't remember completely though. And I need to get up way too early to spend more time right now.

This ring a bell with anyone? I am pretty sure Bevel is the term needed. And I think it is the affects menu, but am not sure if that is the menu as it appears in all versions after 3 or not. CRS. Sigh.

Dave

[Allan Rabanales]

Dave,
Yes! Yes! That's it. I will search for it on Corel now.

Allan

[Allan Rabanales]

Just found it and was successful in beveling the text. I will try on the laser tomorrow. Time for sleep.

[Michael Reilly]

It's of limited application, but if you create single stroke text, you can take the laser out of focus by an inch or two and vector the stroke. It will create a wide, v-shape cut into the material.

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[Jim Priest]

This topic is very interesting and I think I might like to try it. I reviewed the info for the process that is available on the Epilog support site and saw that the power, speed, freq parameters were based on a Helix 35 watt machine. I am a nubie and have an 80 watt Speedy 300, so my question...what adjustments would be needed given the difference in available power between the two machines...is there a rule of thumb that would apply?

[Dan Hintz]

This topic is very interesting and I think I might like to try it. I reviewed the info for the process that is available on the Epilog support site and saw that the power, speed, freq parameters were based on a Helix 35 watt machine. I am a nubie and have an 80 watt Speedy 300, so my question...what adjustments would be needed given the difference in available power between the two machines...is there a rule of thumb that would apply?

The easiest rule of thumb (though not always the correct one) is "if you double the power, double the speed". That will gnerally put you in the general ballpark for settings. Of course a Trotec Speedy 300 engraves/rasters at twice the speed of an Epilog, so "double the power, same speed" is more appropriate. You will be vectoring, not rastering, which happens at roughly the same speed between both machines, so the first rule applies. Again, this will put you in the ballpark only, so tread with caution.