Picture your printer - when you create a graphic you use various software to layout text and graphics how you want them to look on paper. With the laser, you treat the graphic setup exactly the same way, but you choose the laser as your printer. Instead of ink on the paper, the laser vaporizes a small dot of material.
Is it really that easy? Yes! If you can print the image to paper, you can print to the laser. We've created three different pages to talk about the basics of laser engraving, laser cutting and laser marking. Click through to each topic below to learn about how our laser systems can engrave, cut and mark a variety of materials.
Laser Engraving: How to Use an Epilog Laser to Etch Designs and Logos
Are you looking for a laser that can engrave cut wood, acrylic, plastic, marble, and much more? You can use an Epilog Laser system to etch intricate designs in all of these materials and many more.
Attached to your computer just like a printer, the system will cut designs you create in most graphic software programs. Set up your page size to the size of the piece you are engraving, create your image, and print it to the laser - it will even cut many of the materials with the same system!
Radiance™ High Energy Optics
While Epilog's Accupoint™ motion control system addresses the mechanical aspects of our systems, our Waveguide Laser Technology and Radiance™ High Energy Optics work together to produce the sharpest laser beam in the industry, which provides our customers with the most detailed engraving and cutting available.
The laser tube is the source of the laser beam, it's not the only technology that is involved in producing a crisp, sharp laser beam. After the laser beam leaves the tube, we use additional optical components to shape and refine the laser beam before it is delivered to the work surface. We refer to these optics as our Radiance High Energy Optics package, and they have revolutionized the detail that can now be achieved with a CO2 laser system.
Laser Cutting Systems: How to Use an Epilog Laser to Cut Patterns and Designs
Are you looking for a laser that can laser cut wood, acrylic, plastic, fabric, or many other non-metallic materials? You can use an Epilog Laser system to create intricate designs and highly detailed cuts in all of these materials and many more.
Attached to your computer just like a printer, the system will cut designs you create in most graphic software programs. Set up your page size to the size of the piece you are engraving, create your image, and print it to the laser - it will even engrave the material with the same system!
Can you cut through metal? No, the frequency of the CO2 laser requires very high wattages of lasers to penetrate through metals. Epilog's CO2 laser systems are best suited to cutting wood, acrylic, plastic, and fabric.
The laser creates a beam of light that is used to cut through the material, so there is no part of the laser system in contact with the material.
For thinner materials, all Epilog laser systems include an Integrated Vacuum Table to hold down papers, fabrics, and thin plastics as you cut through the material.
It is amazingly precise, following the pattern you've drawn on screen.
Cut several patterns from the same piece of material.
You can print to the laser from a variety of programs, including CorelDRAW, AutoCAD and Adobe software.
Laser Metal Marking Systems: How to Use an Epilog to Laser Mark Metals
Are you looking for a laser that can mark metal with barcodes, logos and serial numbers? There are two different Epilog systems to meet your needs.
FiberMark Fiber Laser Series:
Permanent marks of all kinds are required on many products today. Fiber lasers, because of their extremely long operational life, lack of required maintenance or alignment and relatively low cost are rapidly becoming the marking method of choice for industrial marking applications. As government regulations become more strict about disposal of traditional marking materials like ink and acid etching chemicals, companies are looking for ways to make their product marking easier and environmentally friendly.
The Advantages of Fiber Laser Metal Marking
It does not affect the integrity of the part;
Produce a high-contrast permanent mark;
Requires almost no maintenance;
Can be operated from almost any Windows-based software;
Is exceptionally easy to use by practically anyone in your organization!
CO2 Lasers for Metal Marking
Non-contact CO2 laser marking is an excellent method of permanently marking your products. While traditional metal engraving removes part of the tool, changing the strength of the part, the laser mark is actually on top of the metal. Wherever the laser hits the metal marking spray, a reaction is created where the spray bonds to the metal, creating a permanent black mark. Whether you're marking one part or a thousand, nothing compares to the fast and affordable marking that an Epilog laser system provides. The CO2 laser systems that work with the additional spray are also more versatile than our FiberMark system because they will work with wood, acrylic, leather and many more materials. For a brochure and sample kit, please visit our CO2 laser brochure request form.
The Advantages of CO2 Laser Metal Marking
Lowest cost of machinery for laser marking;
Produce a very high-contrast black mark;
Does not change the tolerances of the tool becuase no material is removed;
Can be operated from almost any Windows-based software;
Is exceptionally easy to use by practically anyone in your organization!
Didn't find the answer to your question?
Email us or give us a call at +1-303-277-1188. We're happy to supply all the answers you're looking for.
Laser Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below we attempt to answer some of the most frequenty asked questions about lasers, how they work, and about Epilog Laser.
Q: Can I make money with a laser? Yes! Personalization and customization of products is in high demand. Adding a laser engraving service to your current operation is an excellent way to reach possible new customers as well as offer a valued service to your current client base. If you have any doubts about the profitability of owning a CO2 laser
system, visit our applications page. Take a look at www.laserbits.com, a supplier of laserable materials. There you will find purchase prices and suggested prices for an array of laserable materials.
Q: What software do I need to get started? The laser works like a printer, so you can use most Windows-based graphic
design software programs (such as CorelDRAW, Adobe products, or AutoCad.) Design your
artwork the way you want it to appear on your sample and send it through our print driver, just as if you were printing a document.
If you're looking for a low cost, easy to use graphic sofware program, CorelDRAW is an excellent choice.
Q: How long does it take to learn to use the laser? If you know how to use graphic design software, you can be up and running in minutes. It will take a bit of trial and error to learn what power and speeds to use with different materials, but we include a comprehensive guide with your system that has recommended powers and speeds for various materials you will be working with.
Q: What types of graphics can I engrave and cut? You can engrave scanned photos, logos, bitmaps, other images, text, AutoCad files. Essentially, if you can print it, you can engrave it. To cut, you will need a vector based
graphic, such as an .eps, Illustrator file, or bitmap. Keep in mind the higher the quality of the graphic you're working with, the better your results will be.
Q: Can Epilog's lasers engrave on metal? Yes. While our CO2 laser systems can
engrave and cut most non-metallic or coated metal materials, our newest system, the FiberMark, was designed to permanently mark all types of metal. The FiberMark was designed with a combination of affordability and high quality, and features a 24-inch by 12-inch engraving area. The flat bed, flying optics design is revolutionary for a fiber laser system and will mark metals over a large work area in a short amount of time. Click here to learn more about the FiberMark!
Q: Can Epilog's lasers cut metal? Since we use a low power CO2 and fiber lasers (30 to 120 watts) the beam will clearly mark on a coated and raw metals, but will not cut through them.
Q: Is the laser safe to operate? Yes, the laser is completely safe to operate. It is a Class 3A laser, which
means that the laser is secured with interlock devices so it will not run
with the doors of the system open. No special safety gear is required to run the
laser.
Q: How much does it cost to operate the laser? The cost of operating the laser can be easily figured out by plugging your electricity rates into the following formula:
Legend 36EXT - 120 watt laser
Typical Max power consumption = 1560 Watts (This assumes full power, constant laser on.) If power costs $0.075/KWH in your area, it is costing $0.117/hour to operate the laser. Or, about 12 cents per hour, or 96 cents per eight hour day. (1560 x .075)/1000 = .117
Q: Do I need separate laser systems for engraving and cutting? No, one laser does it all! Our Legend EXT, Helix or Mini
systems will engrave and cut most non-metallic
materials, as well as engrave coated metals. (For
information on what materials you can engrave
and cut, see our materials section.) The laser can be set to engrave only, cut only or in a combined mode. The laser knows what to engrave and what to cut based on line width, which is easily set.
Q: What are the computer requirements? Investing in a new computer is a great way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your new laser equipment.Why?Because today’s software requires a lot of computer processing speed and memory to function properly.A good computer won’t make a huge difference in how your laser runs, but when compared to a slow computer it will save untold amounts of time and frustration setting up the artwork that you “print” to the laser. Many users do not purchase new computers for use with their new laser because their current computers are perfectly adequate.There’s no magical cut-off that makes a computer too slow.If you’re comfortable with the performance and speed of your current computer, there’s probably no reason to purchase another one.The following recommendations are just advice to consider if a new computer is necessary.
A new computer doesn’t have to be expensive to work great!Even many of today’s lower cost computers work well for laser applications.As long as you don’t buy the cheapest computer you can find you should be fine.One thing to avoid is the Intel Celeron processor – while they are good processors, and will work with the laser, they don’t process graphics with the speed most laser users desire.
Operating System Any Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or 7 operating system is recommended.All new Epilog lasers are designed to work with the latest Windows operating systems, and all of the versions of 2000 or XP (Home, Professional, etc.) and Vista are compatible for use with your Epilog laser.
RAM - Random Access Memory
512 MB is recommended.RAM is kind of like short-term memory.It’s fast, readily available for the computer to access and makes time consuming tasks go much quicker if you have lots of it.Most users won’t notice a difference if they add more than 512 MB to their system, but almost all uses will notice the speed difference that 512 MB provides when compared to 256 MB (256 MB is kind of the next step down from 512 MB).
Processor Speed
A faster processor will allow you to do more tasks in less time.While it’s not necessary to purchase the fastest processor available, you’ll want either an AMD Athalon processor or an Intel Pentium IV processor (do not purchase a computer that is using an Intel Celeron processor – they’re too slow for graphics applications).Processor speeds are always improving, but processor speeds of about 2.0 GHz or faster are a good place to start.
10/100 Network Interfact Card (NIC)
All new computers have a 10/100 network connection as standard equipment.As well as allowing multiple computers to be linked together in a network, this technology also allows direct printing from the computer to the Epilog Mini.Epilog supplies a network Crossover cable with each laser system that allows one computer to print to a single Epilog Mini system.
20-30 GB Hard Drive
This is the permanent memory in your computer.Many users feel that you can never have a large enough hard drive, but for most laser applications 20 or 30 GB’s is going to be adequate for years of storage.Luckily, most computer manufacturers put at least 20 GB drives in new computers these days.When in doubt, buy bigger than you think you might need.It’s so inexpensive that it’s worth the peace of mind to have it available.
Q: What is the maximum diameter that will fit on the Rotary Attachment for each system?
Epilog Mini 18: 3"
Epilog Mini 24: 5"
Epilog Helix: 8"
Legend 36EXT: 11"
Didn't find the answer to your question?
Email us or give us a call at 888-437-4564 (toll free in the US) or +1-303-277-1188. We're happy to supply all the answers you're looking for.
.gif){kind=spacer}
