This is what my etching normally looks like…
This is what is happening all of a sudden
I also noticed some of my cut lines are also burnt looking, which is not normal.
I have not changed my settings.
Any ideas???
The slightest film of smoke on any windows will be less power where it needs to be,. Unless you use the Set Focus that can also cause the issue
I let the machine set the focus for me. So its at a default
I took the pieces out, they were not etched?
They are just shiny and sticky, which isn’t how they would normally look
Did the power setting default to 1%? It does that automatically for unrecognized materials as a safety measure…what you are looking at there is what happens when you just engrave away the surface paper, leaving the sticky adhesive on top of the design and no penetration into the material.
I’d check the power setting. 
Hi Julie, I checked my power settings immediately after the print and while the machine was still printing, it was set to 700 speed, 40 power, which normally gives me a nice smooth engraving. 2 other pieces on the same print also turned out like this, while the other 6 pieces etched normally, all of them were set to the same settings.
On the the 3 that look burned, it appears they started to etch normal but then in the same etch process, it started to just etch/burn the top masking paper
It definitely lost power then, which isn’t good. Let support take a look at your logs, they will contact you with the next steps to take. Sorry…I was hoping for an easy fix for you.
Thank you Julie, I would appreciate that very much. Do I need to contact them myself or is this post enough?
No, this thread will do it…as soon as they see it they will pull the logs for your machine and get back to you.
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I 'm sorry to hear you’ve hit a snag.
I’ve extracted your machine logs and can see that Proofgrade Thick Clear Acrylic was selected for the material type. When Proofgrade material is selected, your Glowforge will cut, score and engrave according to the specifications of Proofgrade. In the print you attached, the cut was set to default with the engrave being manually set. However, your Glowforge was still performing the print as if it was Proofgrade material when it was not. It’s important to mention that materials from other manufacturers may vary widely from piece to piece, even if they’re created by the same manufacturer.
With that being said, I’d like to have you perform a test print of our Gift of Good Measure with default settings on Proofgrade so we can ensure your machine is operating as expected.
At your earliest convenience, please try the following:
- Turn off your Glowforge.
- Check for small pieces of debris or dust.
- Check the lower door to make sure it closes all the way. It may require some force to open, but open it, wipe any dust off the edges, and close it all the way.
- Remove the tray and clean any dust or debris from the surface underneath. Pay careful attention to remove all debris from the four dimples where the tray rests.
- Check the lid to make sure it closes all the way. Small particles of material, such as dust or debris, can prevent it from closing completely.
- Check the surface your Glowforge is on to make sure it’s flat. Ensure it is not twisted slightly and that there is no debris propping up one side of the machine.
- Turn your Glowforge back on.
- Place the Proofgrade Draftboard in the center of the bed and print the Gift of Good Measure using the default settings.
Let us know how it goes!
I will complete all of those steps as soon as the machine is finished with its current project, which seems to be etching just fine.
Question, even if the material is from another supplier, would it vary so much that pieces on the same 11x19in sheet would come out differently? This is the first time I have seen this on any piece, PG or not, that I have used.
The piece right next to the piece that didn’t etch correctly, did not have this happen.
Thank you for the update. We’ll be happy to review the logs and print results from the test print once you’ve had a chance to run the test.
Regarding materials from other vendors, there are a lot of factors which can impact print results and it is possible for a single piece of material to have variations from one section of the material when compared to another. The test on Proofgrade will help us rule out if material is a factor in the print results you’ve seen recently.
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.