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Thread: Template Problem

  1. #1

    Template Problem

    I purchased some 2 1/2" W x 1" H Alumamark plaques.
    In Corel 12 I made a page the exact table area of my engraving machine 24" x 18. I created a rectangle that was the exact dimensions of the Alumamark piece. When I went to print, it is about 1/8" off. I dragged the rectangle up to the top of the page guidelines. Is there a shortcut to lining up an object to a guideline? I know if you click on an object and then another you can do a E and a C to center it horizontially and vertically. I wonder if my guidelines are off by a fraction, though I enlarged the page 5000% and saw nothing abnormal.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    NE Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    85
    My guess is that you have an alignment problem with the guidlines on the table vs a program or template problem. (Assumtion since templates are just that. They work from within a workable area.)

    Try laying a 1/2-1inch piece of tape around the border of the table (more so in upper left then anywhere.) and running a box 1/64 in smaller then the table.
    outline it with your cut line. then run it at very low power and higher speed.

    What you should have is a line that follows your borders perfectly but in just a tad from the edge. The reason for the 64th: If you dont you will have a line directly at the guides which you could not see.

    I align my guides with a heavy tape. I loosen them and move them out from where they should be , lay the tape down around the edge cut it at the exact size my table is on the top and bottom peel the tape off the outside and slide the rulers to the tape edge. tighten. then check it against a piece I made when i first got the machine to make sure the edges are true and square.


    I know that a 64th could matter in real templates however for a test like this it wont.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Des Moines, WA
    Posts
    170
    To put an object like a rectangle in the upper left corner of the page, use the align and distribute tool.

    Select the object, click arrange then align and distribute.
    Pick align and distribute at the bottom of the list.
    Click the top and left check boxes and select edge of page from "align objects to:".

    Your X and Y positions may be off a bit. Do all engravings come out a bit off? Draw some lines and send them to the laser to check for any error. You can correct the X and Y in the settings page of the laser menu.

    Also, if your machine is a 24 X 12, I would avoid drawings larger than 24 X 12, even if the table is larger than 24 X 12. It will burn up a motor (at least a Legend 24 will ) if you run it up against a hard stop for any length of time.

    Michael
    70 watt Epilog Legend 24
    Bought new in December 2002

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Sammamish, WA
    Posts
    7,630

    Template Problem

    I've found that on mine the alignment in the upper left corner requires me to move the artwork to the right and down 1/16", and that's every time. I just do guidelines to make that the upper left corner. In the case of an expensive product being engraved I'll go as far as to place transfer tape on it and run the first line at lower power higher speed and measure to make sure it's right. I'll have to try that setup adjustment.
    Last edited by Joe Pelonio; 11-28-2005 at 11:51 AM.



    Sammamish, WA

    Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.

    "One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." G. Weilacher

    "The handyman's secret weapon - Duct Tape" R. Green

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Victor, NY
    Posts
    1,288

    Template Problem

    Hi David;
    Would help to know:
    1. What machine do you have?
    2. You are off by 1/8" in what dimension?
    George

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by George M. Perzel
    Hi David;
    Would help to know:
    1. What machine do you have?
    2. You are off by 1/8" in what dimension?
    George
    I have a Pinnacle-M 25 watt machine
    I am 1/8" off in the verticle.

    So when I center text on the H and V, it is ok on the H, by too low. I have checked all measurements so I don't think it is operator error. I can send my Corel file if anybody wants to test.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Victor, NY
    Posts
    1,288

    Template Problem

    Hi David;
    Try setting your Corel page size to 25" wide by 18.0315 high.These settings were recommended to me by LaserPro, who makes the Pinnacle unit. Good Luck
    George

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Anaheim, California
    Posts
    6,903
    Quote Originally Posted by David Sabot
    I have a Pinnacle-M 25 watt machine
    I am 1/8" off in the verticle.

    So when I center text on the H and V, it is ok on the H, by too low. I have checked all measurements so I don't think it is operator error. I can send my Corel file if anybody wants to test.
    Three questions:
    1. Is the offset the same regardless of what size text is in use?
    2. Do you get the same vertical offset for other types of objects (e.g. circles)?
    3. Is the offset the same if you apply "Convert to curve" to the text object?

    Could be Corel is using the outside font metrics: the font is larger than what you see for characters without descenders, so the "center" is lower.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Brenham, Texas
    Posts
    41
    Have you reset the Home position of your laser? Sounds as though that could be the problem. Below are the steps you need to perform to do this.

    To reset the home position:
    1. Turn laser engraver off.
    2. Hold the Start/Stop & Enter.
    3. After the machine initializes and the display reads “Run Test Plot?”, manually focus the laser. Using the manual focus tool, use the UP arrow key to bring the table up to touch the bottom of the manual focus tool. Once focused, push the RIGHT arrow key.
    4. When the screen displays “Adjust Origin?”, press Enter.
    5. Use the arrow keys (Right, Left, Up and Down) to move the red beam to this point:

    6. When you have the red beam 1/3 on the top ruler, 1/3 on the Left ruler and 1/3 on the table, press Enter. Laser screen should display 'STOP'.
    7. Restart laser.


    Glen

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cape Town, South Africa
    Posts
    3,922
    The best way to do this is get some matboard or cheapo board , cut it square , put it in your table up at the top left and start the laser from home.
    Engrave the outlines of the boxes on it from home and then put the plates on it and engrave the text. Save the corel page as is as your "master" and the board will always be your template and will be accurate if put in the top left corner and you engrave from home.
    If you have a scaling problem , IE a 10 x 10 square is engraved as 10 x 9.8 the driver has a compensation for that.
    You have to calibrate your machine in the x and y axis , if you dont you will have problems with lets say one piece that fits on another if you engrave or cut one portrait and the other landscape , you will not get a good fit. Use the compensation thing . Scribe a square (a big one) measure it on the x and y and apply the factor as per the manual.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Southern tip of New Jersey
    Posts
    157

    Reset in Corel

    Hi David

    Kevin Huffman from signwarehouse.com is a member of this forum,but is currently having trouble logging in, he and Keith Outten are currently working to solve the problem. He reads the posts most everyday and asked me to post this as a possible solution.


    Hey Gary,
    Sorry to bother you, There is a new post Template Problem.
    Can you post that David needs to make sure his 0,0 is positioned right. (In corel)
    Go to Layout, then Page Setup.
    Click on rulers on the left hand side.
    Where it says origin, horizontal needs to be 0.00 and vertical needs to be 18.00.

    If he is doing like all of our other customers, he is clicking where to two rulers meet and dragging the 0,0 position should be. The only problem with that is when you are looking at a 24x18 sheet, how exact can you be? It doesn't automatically snap to the page. I have seen customers off almost 1/4 inch both ways when they go look at the origin settings. Being off 1/8th in is the regular interval.
    You can get closer by zooming in every time but it is just easier to go the Layout/page setup/rulers/origins.
    If you do it this way every time it will be exact every time.

    Kevin W. Huffman II
    Pinnacle Laser Tech Team
    800-699-5512 ext. 2751


    Hope that this helps and that Kevin's login issues are resolved soon as I don't always get to look at SMC everyday.

    Gary
    Gary Shoemake
    Green Creek NJ
    Mercury laser CLTT and color on crystal

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