Engraving on non-proofgrade Box lid

[christie]

So everything we are engraving is pre-made acrylic for the most part. Lids to boxes, or coasters or other things are are customizing for an acrylic companies clients.
I have run the calibration tool. Is says NO Changes necessary.

I inserted my box lid and added the text we need to engrave on the top of the box lid. I set focus and everything looks great. Problems I need some help and please forgive if I sound totally dumb.

How do I determine if the text I am adding to the box lid is center of the item?? I did mark the center as you can see in the photo but how in the world do I know if it is really centered? HELP.

I attached a photo of how the image looks inside our glowforge?

[ovm.steve]

I usually take a ruler and mark my masking through the center, vertically and horizontally. I then focus on the intersection of the two. I sometimes will also make a box roughly the dimensions of my object and set to ignore, center my graphic within the box and use it as a guide in placing the graphic.

[primal_healer]

When it comes to things like that I make a jig, measure the object being engraved and create the profile in inkscape. Once I do that I align my text/engrave in the center where I want it and send it to the machine. I place a piece of paper on the bed and cut the shape of the object to be engraved out of the paper. Place the object on the cutout on the bed, set the cut to ignore and set my engrave settings and hit print without moving anything on the dashboard, it may appear to move or not be in the center but it will print exactly where you set it in inkscape or some other design program.

[Jules]

One thing that you can do to reduce the chance of skewing the object…try something like this to square it up before you place the design. (Those spacer sticks are cut from some scraps…anything that is perfectly square will work when placed against the front of the machine.)

[christie]

Yes I did do that and then I took the object out before I started focus.

[christie]

Okay make a jig? I just used the add text tool on the glowforge? Are you talking about making the image in other software and importing the image as a whole object?

[christie]

Also are you saying that you cut out the engraved text?? Name ALLIE?

[primal_healer]

I don’t do any design on the dashboard so the workflow might not be the same, i do it all on inkscape and then import the text and the outline of the object to be engraved onto the dashboard.

I am saying cut the profile of the lid to be engraved from the paper and then set the lid into the hole on the bed.

You could do it on the dashboard as well without an extra program, create a square same size as your lid and use the alingment tool in the bottom left to center your text and then do the same steps
-cut out the rectangle with the engrave set to ignore
-set object in cutout
-set cut to ignore and apply settings for your engrave
-start print without moving anything on the dashboard and it will be where you want it to be.

[primal_healer]

What font did you use and what are the dimensions of the lid? And if its not something you have tried before i suggest using a piece of scrap to test

[mprather]

With lettering specifically, keep doing what you’re doing. So much is what “appears” to be centered more than if it actually measures dead center. In your example, the A has that long swooping part on the left which may or may not be included in the measurement. Depending on the letter style sometimes it shouldn’t be centered because elements like this can actually make it look off centered.