EngraveLab PhotoLaser Plus - laser photos

[Jeanette Brewer]

I don't think your original post was misleading at all. The info you provided in your last post (re: why he was recommending the EngraveLab package) tells me exactly what I was hoping to learn.

I knew there was probably a very good reason he would recommend one over the other so I wanted to check with him because we hadn't picked up on any significant reasons to recommend it.

I can tell you (Creeker or not) that I do not know of any laser owners in our territory that are using the Engravelab PhotoLaser software. Doesn't mean there aren't some who might have purchased it directly from Cadlink but I don't know of any.

I wonder if an email to Cadlink wouldn't get you a few users' names that could get you a sample file &/or Cadlink themselves would probably be able to provide a file for comparison sake?

[James Jaragosky]

We don't recommend either photo software package unless/until we explain that you'd have to process a LOT of photos to justify the expense and we let them know that,

I would like to say I use Photograv for my raster renderings and I am very happy with my purchase price vs number of successful photos possessed.
Many people here spend in excess of 15k for there lasers and quite a few twice that amount, so $500. for a program that does what it says it will do is fairly cheap in that context.

"But maybe the rep was right when he told me that most people just haven't taken the time to learn how to use the Engravelab program."
I was successfully using photograv 15 minutes after downloading it.
how much time is required to learn Engravelab?

"If they have the time & energy, they can do the same thing within PhotoPaint (a program which they probably already have) or similar".
and as you point out.
Some here currently do this with amazing results. But this is not as simple as you would expect and results are all over the place. technique varies greatly from photo to photo and then again with the product to be laser ed.
The reality for most is its not worth the time to do it this way, when you can prosses and print with consistance results in minutes, not hours.
IMHO, if Engravelab was worth the time or money we would have heard it here already, not much gets by this group.

As always I look forward to the constructive discourse of ideas shared here.
Jim J.

[Mike Null]

There are a number of versions of Engravlab. I have a current version of Engravlab Expert. To be honest, I'm struggling with it. I thought it would be very similar to Coreldraw. I was wrong.

I use it to operate my Newing Hall rotary/diamond drag machine. (I could use it to operate the laser as well but probably won't unless I need to access some special fonts or monograms)

I do not have the version with PhotoLaser but the version I have is $1600 wherever you shop.

In fairness, about 90 percent of my work is with the laser so I'm using corel nearly all the time which doesn't permit getting up to speed on Engravlab.

[Rodne Gold]

Engravelab/profilelab/signlab is a great program as a back end for most of my stuff. What I mean is that it is pretty good in terms of its ability to use Corel designs and to make them work with various machines. We use it for our tekcel overhead routers, our Isel engraving machines , our roland engravers , sometimes for our Roland large format print and cut machines. We use it to generate cutting paths mainly. We run 8 or 9 various machines off it.
We never use it for our lasers , Corel to driver is a FAR better and quicker route and Corel has more or less all you need . The only time we EVER use engravelab for the laser is when we need to do serialization or put in large amounts of names from a database for badges.
At any rate , I feel both photo engraving programs are way overpriced. You can accomplish exactly the same with Corel or photoshop.
I did post a way of doing so , but it wasnt very refined ....perhaps me and some other Corel/photshop users could refine it and make it as a plug in/script and just give it to anyone that wants it for FREE......

[Darren Null]

The demo was unenlightening, so I got hold of an ...ahem...unofficial version to try out. In the main, I wanted to see how it handled photos, so I didn't spend THAT much time playing with it.

As far as photos go, Photograv leaves it in the dust...the best results I got were a sort of cross between a low-fi Photograv and Photoshop's 'emboss' filter. It was less satisfactory than Etchtone (Photoshop plugin, $100), and India Ink ($15) wasn't that far behind it.

The other features...well I'm sure it's an excellent program for use with a diamond-drag etcher, but for lasering I didn't find anything that I couldn't do in Coreldraw. Didn't look that hard, so it's quite possible there's a killer part that I missed.

For the record, it was deleted the same day.

EDIT: The auto-nesting feature looked quite sexy, but that only comes with the pro pack, not the laser plus pack; which means you'd be buying a shedload of features that you couldn't really use if you just have a laser.
EDIT AGAIN:

perhaps me and some other Corel/photshop users could refine it and make it as a plug in/script and just give it to anyone that wants it for FREE......

That'd be tricky with your method, as there's a bit of sliding around to get the ideal 'unsharp mask' for that particular image. I suppose we could just average it out and make it a 'do it now' type action.

[Mike Null]

I am in agreement with Rodney's position concerning the price and advantages of these programs. I have little need for them and find that the Corel Suite will do the job.

I have also seen some impressive results with Photograv but it's not for me.

[Jay Spencer]

Engravelab Laser , Photo Laser , and PhotoGraV are all different products with different feature sets.

Engravelab Laser is for those who want to layout and design files . I mention Engravelab Laser here because it must be understood that the $500 package of Photo Laser is not "Engravelab Laser"

Elab Photo Laser and PhotoGraV are more of an Apples to Apples comparison. We distribute both products PhotoGraV is a great product for doing Photographs with lasers but you still require a layout program to output a file. Elab Photo has direct output ability. I like both packages but like a suit you must make sure you are getting the right fit for your need. That's where a good distributor comes in.

Also many of us picked up a CorelDraw or even Windows and probably had some frustrating moments until we learned how to maneuver in the programs. Those who have gotten more training are able to use the programs closer to it maximum ability. All software is like that so good training is important whether it be Engravelab or PhotoGraV.

I welcome any sawmill creek user to email me jay@jorlink.com and I will demo PhotoGraV or Elab Photo Laser or Engravelab laser one one with you and help determine which is the best fit.

***I felt compelled to speak on this topic, helping people with software is what I enjoy doing and I thought my .02 might clear some things up.

Jay Spencer
Jorlink.com
Jorlink USA Inc. Your Laser & Rotary Machine Sales, Support & Solutions
" For Your Engraving Business"

[Belinda Barfield]

Jay, you have come in from the lurker realm - WELCOME!

Take Jay up on his offer folks. He's a great guy and he's incredibly helpful. Take it from someone who has worked with him one on one.

[Doug Griffith]

Engravelab/profilelab/signlab is a great program as a back end for most of my stuff. What I mean is that it is pretty good in terms of its ability to use Corel designs and to make them work with various machines. We use it for our tekcel overhead routers, our Isel engraving machines , our roland engravers , sometimes for our Roland large format print and cut machines. We use it to generate cutting paths mainly. We run 8 or 9 various machines off it.
We never use it for our lasers , Corel to driver is a FAR better and quicker route and Corel has more or less all you need . The only time we EVER use engravelab for the laser is when we need to do serialization or put in large amounts of names from a database for badges.
At any rate , I feel both photo engraving programs are way overpriced. You can accomplish exactly the same with Corel or photoshop.
I did post a way of doing so , but it wasnt very refined ....perhaps me and some other Corel/photshop users could refine it and make it as a plug in/script and just give it to anyone that wants it for FREE......

Just a reminder that I converted Rodne's Photoshop method to a script that automates the process. There are a few refinements and adjustment sliders for grayscale and sharpness. The "Gold Method" available for FREE at: http://www.dogcollarlabor.com/smc

Cheers,
Doug

[Brian Robison]

Hi Jay,
Glad you finally fell in the Creek!

[Andrey Anfimov]

Hello!
The difference between these programs is: Photograv there is a simulator of the laser engraver, and EngraveLab PhotoLaser Plus is not good "simulator" of program Photograv.
Photograv is a real a simulator. It gives a picture which parametres depend on type of the laser, size spot (optics) and a material. Also Photograv recommends speed and power with which you should process a material, and also counts up time which you will spend for this work. Photograv has presets which in 99 % yield good result. It is the program for business.
All it is not present in EngraveLab PhotoLaser Plus. The picture does not depend neither on laser type, nor from optics and from a material.

[Mark Winlund]

The Andromeda plugins for Photoshop work well for me, and are more versatile than Photograv, in my opinion. (And cheaper.)

Mark

[Andrey Anfimov]

Photograv very good program, but it has one minus. The image which I send on the laser from Photograv, already has a format bitmap and the laser driver once again makes transformation from bitmap in bitmap. This transformation spoils quality of the image. I use Photograv only, as a support. I make processing of the image in Photoshop and then I compare it with the image received from Photograv. When I have identical images I send the image on the laser from Photoshop. Quality of the engraved image from Photoshop is much better, than images from Photograv.

[Dominik Zdyb]

Hello,

Please inform if it is posssible to create by Photograv other file formats beside bitmap ? Is it possible to save ready picture created by Photograv as independent file to be possible put it e.g. to CorelDraw and then send it to the laser or it is possible send olny pictures diectly from Photograv to the laser ?
Best regards
Dominik