The Basics

Whenever etching the first thing to remember is to never leave the etcher unattended! You must be with the etcher at all times something is etching due to sporadic flares and possible flammability of the object etching.

• The power switch for the laser etcher is on the left hand side if you're facing the etcher.

• Here is a closeup of the power switch. Note that there is no "power on" or "power off" procedure; it's just this binary switch. Ignore the circuit breakers.

• This is the air filtration system. This must be turned ON at all times  while the etcher is in use. If the filtration system is not on, you will be breathing in all of the fumes from the etcher. 
• NOTE: if you see smoke gathering in the etching area, that means that the air filtration is NOT turned on. You should barely see any smoke at all, what little there is should be immediately whisked to the back of the etcher and pumped through the filtration system.

• Here is a closeup of the Filtration's power switch. The power button (highlighted) is the only button you need to work with. Just like the etcher, the unit has a simple on/off switch. Once switched on, air should immediately start circulating out from the etcher and into the filtration system
• NOTE: once you are done with the etcher, it is important to also TURN OFF the filtration system. Leaving the system on significantly lowers the lifespan of our filters.

• This is an auxiliary air pump that reduces the chance for flare-ups (read: fires). The air pump has a small, black tube that feeds into the back of the laser etcher and provides additional air current directly on the laser's contact point.

Etcher: what's what.

1. These are the cooling fans for the laser tube. The tube itself is just underneath these fans. These fans run at variable speeds, meaning that they may be running full blast even though you're not etching anything to keep the tube cool. Do not ever place anything over these fans. (There are also vents behind the etcher - these should also be kept clear at all times.)
2. This is the laser head itself. There will be a more detailed explanation below. Basically, this is where the laser shoots out of.
3. This is the build area; where you will place whatever it is that you are etching.
4. This is your control panel. You can, among other things, start jobs, delete jobs, set your home position, enable or disable the laser pointer, pause jobs, restart jobs.
5. This is the intake vent for the filtration system. The airflow should be strong enough such that the vent can hold up a single piece of paper (provided the filtration unit is turned on). If you think the airflow isn't strong enough, contact Doug D, Alan, or Joe.

Laser head: What's what.

1. This 45 degree mirror reflects the etching laser down onto the material that's being etched/cut.
2. This little doohicky is the focus tool, which you will use to ensure that your build plate, along with your subject material, are at the correct focal point for the laser to properly etch.
3. This is the air tube through which the aforementioned air pump channels extra air to prevent flareups.
4. This is merely a pointer laser, which lets you know exactly where the laser will be firing. More on this later.

Focusing the laser

Much like a magnifying glass focuses the sun's rays to burn ants, the laser, too, has a focal point. The focal point is about 2 inches. As such, for each new job the build plate, and thus the laser, must be properly aligned for the laser to actually etch and/or cut.

• Place the focus tool onto the knob on the laser head.

• Using the control panel, move the build plate up until the material that you're etching on just barely touches the focus tool.
• Note that in order for the arrows to move the build plate, you must first press the Focus button.

• To make sure you're close enough to the material, your focus tool should not be able to be pressed down, like in this picture. (Or pushed up, for that matter; it should lay perfectly flat.)
• Once you are done focusing, press the "Job" button to ready the etcher for your print job.

• The etcher works just like a normal paper printer. Select "Epilog Engraver WinX64" as your printer (it should be the default printer).
• Click "Setup"

• Click on Preferences for the Epilog Engraver WinX64 to adjust the etcher settings.
• Move on to "Adjusting Etcher Settings" in this document.

Adjusting Etcher Settings

It is imperative that you triple check all of the etcher settings before you start a new print. If you don't check the settings, you could accidentally vector cut through a charger, and possibly start a fire. In this image we are only focusing on the General settings. Ignore the "Advanced" and "Color Mapping" sections.

1. This is the resolution section, or Dots Per Inch (DPI). When etching, the laser doesn't maintain a continuous beam, but rather fires hundreds of times a second (hence, DPI), sometimes creating images not unlike halftone ads in newspapers. Because of the exponential increase in the speed at which the laser fires, some materials fare better under a lower DPI, and can actually create a cleaner image at lower settings. (Think materials like plastic that would start to melt and disfigure under too much continuous heat.) If you're unsure of what DPI to use, ask!
2. Raster = etching, Vector = cutting, Combined = both. This can be a very important section. Please make double sure that you are on Raster when etching and Vector when cutting or aligning a print (see below). You don't want to cut into material (like a charger) that you mean to etch.
3. Raster settings! Consult with the manual to see what the recommended settings are. But our etcher rep also said to not be afraid to experiment to achieve a different result.
4. This is where you tell the etcher what size area you're working on. Generally, this will be the same size as your Illustrator document. If the Illustrator's document size and this document size don't match, your laser is going to be way off.
5. Vector settings! Only mess with these when actually cutting, not just aligning. Consult the manual for recommended settings.
6. Options: generally speaking, you won't need to change any of these settings; the default will be fine. For more advanced users, ask Doug Daniels for a tutorial.

Using Vector Boxes to Align Print

KEEP THE LID OPEN AT ALL TIMES

Aside from using the blue painter's tape and a very low power setting (10-15%), there is another way that you can ensure that your print will be aligned exactly where you want it to be. This method should also be used to ensure that the placement of the tape for the barcodes is accurate.

• KEEP THE LID OPEN AT ALL TIMES
• Create boxes surrounding each individual picture/object/text block. Select the box tool (1), then make sure there is no infill and that the border is black (2). Set the pixel width to .001. Anything that is .001 pixels in width the etcher interprets as a vector cut. (Remember that earlier the etching of logos and whatnot is the Raster job type.)
  
  

• KEEP THE LID OPEN AT ALL TIMES
• In the picture on the right, notice the very thin line that borders the UCLA Library logo. This is your vector box. You want to size it so that it's as close to possible to the object that you're etching.
• Now you're ready to see how your print has lined up.

• KEEP THE LID OPEN AT ALL TIMES. Remember that with the lid open, the etcher will go through the motions of a print jobs only mechanically, without the laser actually firing.
• With the LID OPEN, and with the pointer light on, send the print job. Remember your settings: Vector only, and make sure that the document sizes in Illustrator and in Epilog settings match (see above, "Adjust Etcher Settings").
• Watch where the pointer light travels, this is precisely where the laser will etch/cut. If you need to pause the machine (for example, to mark the spot where the tape will go), simply press the red "Stop" button. The etcher will finish traveling along the vector that's started, and will stop once it's reached the end. Hit the green "Go" button to resume your vector box alignment.

KEEP THE LID OPEN AT ALL TIMES (unless you actually want to cut something.)