Uh yeah…sort of hot weather here so have to do lasering in the mornings for a while.
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I thought we could use the camera preview to drop artwork onto the work piece? Why isn’t this the workflow?
- Put work piece into machine
- Drag artwork around preview until it looks centered
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Because it’s close but can be off by up to 1/4". If you want it dead on you need a jig.
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That’s unfortunate. Is that something they are addressing or is that as good as it gets?
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While you can do what you’re talking about - (use the camera to realign for the engraving on the backside of the tag) - it takes a LONG time. You’ve got to zoom in, place, tweak, zoom out, check, repeat …yadda yadda yadda.
It’s fine if you just have to do one item - I do it myself sometimes - but if you’ve got a bunch to do - the vectors are the way to go.
If you create a simple vector file that has all of the information to start with, it’s 100% accurate, even at the farthest edges of the bed, and much faster than trying to line it up visually.
And while they might do a few more tweaks on the cameras, I think they’re getting pretty close to having them ready now. So that is probably as good as it’s going to get for a while. Maybe permanently. I don’t know. 
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Thanks for the details. I may have just been misunderstanding the stated goals for the camera, but this is still disappointing. 1/4" is a lot of slop.
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It’s up to 1/4", and that generally occurs at the very outside limits of the bed, if the person doing the cutting hasn’t entered the correct height on the material they are cutting.
I’ve never had a cut or engrave placement be off by 1/4". Most I’ve seen is about a millimeter. And that was long ago, with a PRU, before the latest updates to the cameras were made. They are pretty much on the money now.
But having said that - it’s still a LOT faster to do it by vector. 
Don’t sweat the alignment issue - it’s excellent now. 
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If you look carefully at the two cards I made with names on them. you should see that they needed to go just a bit more left. I usually have a good eye for things like that, so I think they really are off center…but I don’t think it’s any 1/4". Still, even the most minuscule amount makes me crazy.
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The easiest, fastest and most repeatable way I have discovered of doing something is cutting out a jig and using the 12x20 artboard. And as Jules said, put the reverse engraving directly over the front engraving just as a different color.
@Jules’s gives the blow by blow.
To be able to repeat this without having to cut a jig every time. start with a piece of cardboard or wood with two sides that make an exact square corner. Align the bottom edge of the cardboard to the front garage door. Use the right side of the crumb tray where the honeycomb meets the plastic tray as the other registration line. Cutout the spot for the card, drop in the aluminum and process front and back.
Also you can register to the back side of the Glowforge too on the top edge. I think that is how I did the clothespins.
@macphee just taped cardboard on the bed and then cutout the shape for the tongue depressors and did 8 at a time, repeatable. This works repeatable as long as you are using the 12x20 art bed and don’t move the jig between prints.
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That’s funny. I do the same thing but against the left side.
Are you right handed? (I’m left handed.)
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right handed, of course. Funny how that works!
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Hey @jules, @marmak3261 and @jamesdhatch, do we have a summary of these techniques in Glowforge Tips and Tricks? That’s the first place I’d look, or send someone who is looking, for help on this subject.
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Yup!
There’s an overview on how to do a double sided engrave. 
(Which includes creating the jig.)
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I haven’t done a tutorial type for tips and tricks. Just Made on a Glowforge for the pencil thing. Dang. I really should do something like this and a video. Just lazy.
@takitus has one.
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I am surprised many times about how one process runs into or over another…and I think I don’t know something or don’t remember it being mentioned, then find out that it’s been covered a bazillion times by several people. And, believe me…I DO use the search feature. Many thanks to you all who have rehashed the same stuff over and over for me.
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There’s really only about four or five processes. Everything is just a combination of one or more.
(And you’ll get used to it pretty quickly once you stop running away to reunions.) 
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It finally happened…I had a dream about this particular subject last night. Very happy to awaken and find out that the solution is at hand anytime I want to use it. Felt like my brain was on Glowforge overdrive. Whew!
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Hey, that’s great! New materials are so much fun! I just tried aluminum a week ago. It was so damn cool I bought more. Not that I have a use at the moment.
My next new material test is laser foil. Got a roll last week but haven’t had a chance to play with it yet.
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Me too! I bought some anodized aluminum cuff bracelet blanks. Can’t wait to try them out.
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