Hi Everyone 
I am just wondering if anyone can help me with understanding how to make my glowforge engrave all my duplicated objects in one pass instead of one by one?
I have wedding invite “save the dates” and parts of it the machine will engrave the whole line of duplicate prints and other parts it does each one at a time… can anyone help me figure out why this is as i feel like my engrave times would simplify if i could utilize the machines efficiency better !
Thank you !!!
Which design software are you using?
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A lot of vector engraving can be done in a single set, but raster engraving is done one at a time. If you make your raster engraving a single image, then it will be all done at once but it then is fixed in relation to all of them.
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I use inkscape
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You can export a raster image of a complete sheet, and that will engrave all at once. you have to make sure that you poke the eye of all the rest of the rasters you are copying to turn those objects off so they do not interfere.
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I think i understood that… haha. i will give it a go with the next set of save the dates and see if i can make that happen !! Thank you i really appreciate the help!
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The step by step process is like this:
Before you begin, you need to confirm the DPI of the export. Be sure you’ve set it nice and high— I’d suggest 300dpi minimum, since you’re making something that people will hold on their hands and read. You can find that setting in the inkscape preferences page.
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Arrange all your save the dates in inkscape.
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copy the entire design and paste it somewhere off to the side. Now you’ve got two entire layouts.
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remove every cut line from your new copy. You want only the parts that you’ll be engraving. When you’re done you should have your original layout and a new copy that’s just the engrave bits.
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Ok. With the new copy of all of your engraves selected, select “export to png”. You’ll want to look at the options here, be sure you’re exporting “selection”.
This will export a png (raster image) of the selected save the dates. Take note of the file name and location so you can proceed.
This seems a little convoluted, but the issue is that if you don’t make the second copy and save it off to the side the exported png will include your cut lines, and you don’t want to engrave those. That’s why you need to copy the engraves and move them off to the side… the png should only show your engraves.
Now import your new png back into the svg. It should look the same as the other copies but now it’s a single image.
There are many ways to re-align the new image to the original layout… they’re all roughly the same, but take a second to write up. Let us know if you’re not sure how to tackle that part, I’m sure one of us can guide you there too.
The last step after everything is all aligned is to delete all of the engraves except your new single png. I tend to save the new layout as a separate file so you can always go back to the original if you need to change things.
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I made this happen and was able to create one cohesive print!! Ahhh im so thrilled !! thank you all for your help 
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How much time did it save?
A full sheet of 40 “tokens” I’ve made measuring 17.65" x 10.15" estimates 4h 52m 36s to engrave as 40 individual copies, and 2hr 39m 55s as a single bitmap. Both using Proofgrade Medium Maple Ply SD Graphic setting.
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I use the “Make a Bitmap Copy” command under the Edit menu in Inkscape to combine all the engraves into one image. Just select everything you want to combine into one image before clicking that. This lets you keep any vector cut/score lines in the same document without exporting to a PNG first. Only caveat is that the vector version of the engraves will still be there behind the bitmap copy – either “ignore” them in the GF app or delete/move them after turning them into a bitmap.
Also, if you’re happy with the SD Graphic setting, you’ll get identical results in less time by engraving at 1000/full/270. That was the SD Graphic preset for wood and acrylic up until 2020 or 2021 when they slowed it down for some reason.
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That’s all I do as well. I’ve never exported and imported back in. The majority of my engraves are vector so LPI is irrelevant. I use a different color for the cut lines and use “select same/stroke color” to group them together.
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That’s what my SD Graphic engrave setting is.
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They have reverted back to the old settings for most materials, that’s nice.
You had noticed the change from 1000/full to 535/70 back in 2020
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There you go then, they might have slowed it down to accomodate wider engraves, possibly before they introduced the edge optimization.
Made little difference to me, as I haven’t use PG settings in a long time, since my tube started to show signs of aging.
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