1st Print GoGM didn't cut all of the way through

My first print didn’t cut correctly. The full outline cut out, but the circles didn’t cut all of the way through. This is using the recommended proofgrade draftboard medium. Picture showing the back of the piece attached. You can see the partial cuts. I turned the machine off and on and tried again and had the exact same issue. For log purposes, the first attempt was 4:32.

That bites you’re having issues - and as it’s a brand new machine it shouldn’t be a cleaning issue. Also thank you for printing this and posting pictures. It will make it go faster when Staff responds.

That being said, a few printers were shipped from the factory with the lens in upside down. That leads to not cutting through, and wider than normal cuts on the top. To verify that you can pop the lens out and make sure the bowl side is faced up into the machine.

Fingers crossed

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When I have this problem. It is usually because of a few things.

  1. My part is not flat on the table. Press down on it with your finger. If you feel any bounce or air your part is not flat enough
  2. I have the wrong part thickness entered. Measure you part and double check
  3. My glowforge always tends to not burn through perfectly. I just slow it down by 5% and problem solved.
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Make sure you don’t have any finger prints on the side window on the head or on the corresponding one left of it hidden on the left side of the machine. Wipe with zeiss cleaning cloth (GF provides a couple to get you started)

Try cutting it again using the set focus feature. (Gear icon - select set focus and drag square to where you want to cut your material). Watch the machine and look for the red dot laser to make sure it shines on the area you want to cut - its only on for a second or less so you need to watch carefully.

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Hey @jalakleatherworks, thanks for letting us know. I’m so sorry that your print didn’t come out beautifully!

To cut successfully, there are three important things to check. First, your material must lie flat. This requires a clean, properly installed crumb tray and flat materials. Second, there must be no obstructions, dirt, or damage preventing the laser light from reaching your material. Third, your design must be set up properly - for example, with lines that are fully on the material and that are set to cut. It’s hard to know which issue might be affecting your print, but if you follow the instructions in the [cut-through troubleshooter](https://glowforge.com/support/topic/troubleshooting/cut-didnt-go-through-material), we’ll be able to get to the bottom of it.

Once you’ve inspected and cleaned, please try another print. We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Please print the Gift of Good Measure on that Proofgrade Draftboard and let me know the result. If it doesn’t print well, please let me know the date and time of your print and send photos of the front and back of the print.

Thank you in advance!

@jalakleatherworks, have you had a chance to go over those steps I sent over? If so, please let me know if you are still experiencing issues cutting through Proofgrade Material. Thanks!

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.