激光雕刻中的5个常见错误以及如何避免

Whether you are an accomplished engineer or a novice maker, learning the proper uses of design equipment to avoid pitfalls and mistakes takes time and experience.

无论您是经验丰富的工程师，还是仍在摸索的初学者，学习设计设备的正确用法来避免陷阱和错误都需要相当的时间和经验。

From time to time, issues come up that leave designers wondering what they did wrong or how they could do something better. This is true in any field, and laser engraving is no different.

时不时出现的小问题，使得设计人员能够了解哪些地方做错了或哪方面可以做得更好——这在任何领域都是如此，激光雕刻也没有什么不同。

Knowing how to avoid these mistakes so that they don’t come up again is half the battle. With that in mind, let’s talk about five of the most common mistakes when it comes to laser engraving and ways to avoid them in future projects.

知道如何避免这些错误，不让它们再次出现，就已经成功了一半，考虑到这一点，就让我们谈谈激光雕刻中最常见的五个错误，以及在将来的项目中避免这些错误的方法。

Mistake 1: Engraving fabric but the laser burns through the material
错误1：雕刻纺织材料，避免激光烧穿材料
The first step in avoiding burning fabric with a laser engraving/cutting machine is to understand which fabrics can withstand the process and at what temperatures. Heartier fabrics such as denim, canvas, and leather can withstand higher power settings during engraving. But when it comes to delicate fabrics, it is important to start your settings at high speed (near or at 100%) and low power (around 5-10%). Test these initial settings on some spare material, and if the fabric can withstand it, increase the power until you get the results you want.

如何避免在使用激光雕刻机、切割机时将纺织材料点燃？第一步是了解哪些哪些织物可以承受激光雕刻，以及可承受的温度阈值。牛仔布、帆布和皮革等更耐穿的面料在雕刻过程中可以承受更高的功率设置，但是对于精致的面料，则必须以高速（100%或接近）和低功耗（大约5-10%）来进行初步设置，然后用一些备用材料进行测试并调整，如果织物可以承受则增加功率，直到获得所需的结果。

laser engraving/cutting machine

When it comes to direct-to-garment engraving, it is helpful to lower the dots per inch (DPI) at which you engrave. The higher the DPI, the more material will be removed. Engraving at a lower DPI helps ensure the laser just slightly vaporizes the top layer and doesn’t burn entirely through the fabric. Most fabric engravings do fine at 150-300 DPI.

当涉及到直接对服装进行的雕刻时，适当降低雕刻时的密度（DPI）会很有帮助，DPI设置越高，将会去除的材料就越多，而以较低的DPI进行雕刻，有助于确保激光仅轻微蒸发顶层材料，不至于完全烧穿整个织物。大多数纺织材料雕刻时设置在150-300DPI的效果都会很好。

Mistake 2: Acrylic doesn’t produce a frosty white engraving
错误2：亚克力在雕刻时无法产生磨砂白
More than likely, this is caused by using the wrong acrylic in the application. Two types of acrylics are typically used in laser engraving, and both are suitable for different applications.

这很可能是由于在生产过程中使用了错误的亚克力材料所导致的，激光雕刻中通常使用的亚克力类型有两种，分别适用于不同的应用场景。

Cast acrylic sheets and objects are made from a liquid acrylic that is poured into molds that can then be set into various shapes and sizes. This type of acrylic is ideal for engraving because it turns a frosty white color when engraved, making it suitable for awards and plaques. It can be cut with a laser, but it won’t give projects flame-polished edges.

浇铸的片状或其他形态亚克力是由液态亚克力倒入模具中制成，可以设定为各种形状和尺寸，这种类型的亚克力是激光雕刻的理想选择，因为在雕刻时会变成磨砂白，非常适合奖章和牌匾的制作。而在进行激光切割时，也不会给制品带来火焰抛光的边缘。

laser engraving/cutting machine

The other type of acrylic used in laser engraving is called extruded acrylic, which is formed into sheets by a machine. Extruded acrylic is generally less expensive than cast acrylic because it is formed through a higher-volume manufacturing technique. However, it does react very differently with the laser engraving machine. This type of acrylic cuts cleanly and smoothly and produces a flame-polished edge; however, when engraved, it doesn’t produce that frosted look, but rather a clear engraving. So make sure you are using cast acrylic if you want a frosted white finish.

另一种常在激光雕刻中使用的则是挤压亚克力，是通过机器直接成型为薄片状。因为可以进行大规模生产，挤压亚克力通常比浇铸亚克力便宜，进行切割时干净、平滑，能够产生火焰抛光的边缘，与激光雕刻机的反应也截然不同，挤压亚克力在雕刻时不会产生磨砂效果，而是会更清晰，因此如果想要的是磨砂白，请确保使用的是浇铸亚克力。

Mistake 3: Inconsistent glass engraving
错误3：玻璃雕刻粗糙
Often, when a laser strikes glass, it will fracture the surface but not engrave deeply or remove the material needed to engrave fully. The fractured glass surface will produce a frosted appearance but can be rough and chipped depending on the type of glass that is being engraved. While the frosted look is desired, no one wants a rough surface or chipping.

通常情况下，当激光与玻璃发生撞击，玻璃的浅表面会破裂，因此无法进行深层雕刻或镂空雕刻。破裂的玻璃表面会产生磨砂外观，但在某些玻璃类型上，可能伴随而来的是粗糙和碎裂，这是任何生产者与消费者都无法接受的产品外观。

laser engraving/cutting machine

To produce a smooth frosted finish, try incorporating one or several of the tips below:

想要让玻璃在激光雕刻下仍然保有光滑的磨砂面，不妨尝试以下的技巧：

· Use a lower resolution (about 300 DPI), which will produce a better result on the glass as you separate the dots you are engraving.

· Change the black in your graphic to 80% black.

· Run your laser engraver with Jarvis Dithering (Find this dithering pattern in Epilog’s print driver) to provide a smooth finish.

· Sometimes applying a thin, wet sheet of newspaper or a paper towel to the engraving area helps with heat dissipation and improves the engraving process. (Make sure there are no wrinkles in the paper after it is applied)

· Dissipate heat by applying a thin coat of liquid dish soap to the area you’re engraving with your finger or a paper towel.

· If there are shards of glass after engraving, polish the area with a non-scratch scour pad.

· 使用较低的分辨率，大约300DPI左右，因为在减小雕刻点的密度时，激光雕刻将在玻璃上产生更好的效果；

· 使用Jarvis Dithering软件运行激光雕刻机，可以提供光滑的表面效果；

· 在某些应用场景下，在雕刻区域上覆盖一层薄薄的湿报纸或纸巾有助于散热并对雕刻过程有所改善，不过得确保纸张在覆盖后没有褶皱；

· 通过手指或纸巾在要雕刻的区域涂上薄薄的液体洗洁精来散热；

· 雕刻后如果有玻璃碎片残留在表面，则需使用无划痕的擦洗店清理该区域。

Mistake 4: Wood engraving produces different results on the same setting
错误4：木雕，相同设置产出不同结果
Wood is one of the most laser-friendly materials available not only because it can be cut very easily, but also because it engraves very well.

木材是当前可用的各种材料中，对激光最友好的材料之一，不仅因为它可以很容易地切割，更是非常适合于雕刻。

However, different woods have different reactions when they are laser engraved and produce different results. Lighter woods, like cherry or maple, create a nice contrast where the laser burns away the wood, while denser woods require more laser power to cut or engrave.

但是，不同的木材在进行激光雕刻时会有不同的反应，并产生不同的结果：较轻的木材，如樱桃木或枫木，在雕刻时会形成很好的对比度，但稍不注意激光就会烧掉木材；而密度较大，比较重的木材，则需要更大的激光功率才能切割或雕刻。

Grain density can change dramatically depending on the type of wood. Cherry, alder, walnut, and maple have relatively small veins of grain in them, while oak has medium to large veins. For example, if a large square were engraved into a piece of cherry, it would have a very uniform appearance. The area engraved would be smooth, with little variation in height. However, if the same square were engraved into a piece of oak, its appearance would vary significantly in height and would have a very non-uniform appearance.

质地密度会因为木材类型的不同而发生巨大变化，樱桃木、桤木、胡桃木和枫木的质地密度相对较小，而橡树的密度则中等偏大。如果将大正方形刻在一块樱桃木上，它将具有非常均匀地外观，雕刻的区域也很平滑，高度变化很小；但是，如果将相同图案刻在橡木上，其外观、高度将发生很大变化，并且表面回非常不均匀。

Here are some tips when engraving with wood:

以下是一些激光雕刻木材的技巧：

· Maple and alder are some of the most popular woods for engraving, providing a rich contrast.

· Bare wood engraving produces smoke and debris during the process that can become embedded into the grain of the wood. To reduce this effect, always engrave from the bottom up – this helps draw any smoke away from the engraving.

· When engraving stained wood, excess smoke and debris can be wiped off the surface of the wood with a damp cloth after engraving.

· 枫木和桤木是最受欢迎的雕刻木材，具有丰富的对比度；

· 裸木雕刻的过程中会产生烟雾和碎屑，这些杂志会不可避免地嵌入到木材的颗粒中，如果想要减少这种影响，则需始终从下往上进行雕刻——这将有助于烟雾的排放；

· 雕刻已经染色的木材时，完成工序后可以用湿布擦去多余的烟雾和碎屑。

Mistake 5: Laser engraver doesn’t perform as fast anymore
错误5：激光雕刻机性能下降
Clean your machine! Much like other types of design equipment, a clean machine produces better results than one that is not maintained correctly. Check your use manual for any maintenance requirements. If a drop in performance happens quickly, checking and cleaning the optics may be the first step in correcting the problem.

清洁机器！激光雕刻机与其他类型的设计设备非常相似，一台经过清洁保养的机器比未正确维护的机器能产生更好的生产结果，经常性地检查使用手册上的维护要求是一个很好的习惯。如果性能下降的情况在机器上发生得很快，那么检查和清洁光学器件可能是纠正问题的第一步。

laser engraving/cutting machine​

We recommend inspecting the optics in the laser (the lenses and mirrors) weekly and cleaning as needed. If you’re cutting materials that produce more residue, like wood or acrylic, you may find your optics need cleaning more frequently. Typically, optics are clear gold in color and are bright and shiny. If they are cloudy or have smudges or debris, it’s time to clean them.

根据专业的建议，每周检查激光（镜片和镜子）的光学器件并根据需要进行清洁，是一个不错的选择。如果要切割一些会产生很多残留物的材料，例如木材或亚克力，那么这些器件就需要更频繁地清洁。通常，光学器件是透明的金色，并且明亮而富有光泽，如果在检查时它们呈现出混浊或有污渍甚或是由碎片时，是时候对它们进行清洁了。

The mistakes listed above are shared among makers and designers that use laser engraving machines, especially those just beginning to use the equipment. But as you can see, they are easily avoidable if you know how to correct the mistakes.

上面列出的错误，普遍的存在于激光雕刻机的制造商和实际使用的设计师之间，尤其是那些刚开始使用该设备的人。但是，只要知道如何纠正错误，那么这些也都是很容易避免的。