Technical Library: Using Raster Color Mapping to Save Engraving Time

The Color Mapping feature is an advanced option that you can use to create varying speeds and powers within the same engraving job, but did you know you can also use it as a time saving feature in many engraving projects?

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

Click Here to view the Flash Demonstration of this lesson.

In this file from an architectural model, we want to cut out each of the pieces from wood and engrave the black notches.

The problem is that when we send the job to the laser without color mapping, it takes 6 minutes 45 seconds to do all of the engraving and cutting.

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

2)

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

3)

The Color Mapping feature in the latest print driver features six different preset colors (but 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.)

4)

Each of the six colors match RGB preset colors in CorelDRAW. With the first two notches we want to engrave selected, we selected the red color swatch in the RGB palette on the right side of the screen.

Continue to do this with each column of engraving with green, blue and yellow.

5)

Print the file to the laser and set your vector settings and piece size as you normally would. We’ll change the engraving speed and power settings in the Color Mapping box

On the Advanced tab, click the check box next to Color Mapping to enable the settings.

Click on each color in the Map List and change the speed and power on the right side of the screen to your engraving speed and power and uncheck the box next to Vector so it will only affect the raster settings.

6)

Print the file to the laser, and you're done!

With the settings we used in this sample, we were able to cut the engraving and cutting time from 6 minutes 45 seconds, to
3 minutes 45 seconds, a 44% time savings! Try this feature with your own files and see how much engraving time you can save!!