Technical Library: Using the Color Mapping Feature to Reduce Engraving Time

The Color Mapping feature is an advanced option in Epilog's exclusive Laser Dashboard™ that you can use to create varying speeds and powers within the same engraving job. However, few people realize this feature is also quite useful because it can save valuable time on engraving projects.

In this lesson, we'll walk you through a project that that incorporates the Color Mapping feature to cut the engraving and cutting time almost in half.

The file to your right represents a piece from an architectural model. In this project we want to cut the red squares from wood and engrave the black notches.

The problem is that when we send the job to the laser without using the color mapping feature, it takes nearly seven minutes to complete all of the engraving and cutting.

The reason it's so time consuming to engrave these few small marks is because in regular raster mode, the laser will travel from the left-most point of engraving area to the right-most point and back from top to bottom. The purple arrows indicate just how much of the piece of wood will be traversed in this example.

If we use the Color Mapping feature, we can quickly set up the file so that only four small columns of area will be engraved, saving a large amount of time!

When you open your Laser Dashboard, the Color Mapping Tab is available at the top of the screen. The Color Mapping feature in the Laser Dashboard features six different preset colors (you can set up to 10 more of your own.)

We'll use the six preset colors to differentiate the order each column of notches should be engraved.

We want them to be in the same order they show on the screen (red, green, blue, yellow, magenta and cyan.) Red will engrave first, followed by green, blue and yellow.