Laser Cut and Scan Problem

Hello I am trying to cut through a sticker paper but I am having problem with the way glowforge is cutting on the scan as you can see in the pic there is the purple line on the circle and when the pic is uploaded and scanned it should cut the circle right no ? But what happens is it cuts above or the head moved I dunno what is happening any ideas or help to fix it thank you

Visual alignment is not perfect. Results at this point can be expected to be up to 1/4" off from the preview. You’ll need to either use a jig and determine how many clicks in each direction gives you the right alignment. Print and Cut: Thirty-two Cats

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Actually, I think a better reference is this one: A way to improve object placement

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Thank you for that, I knew you had done something that would help with this but couldn’t remember the post.

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thank you but what do you mean with visual alignment isn’t it a drag and drop thing and it should cut like the way the camera shows ?

The camera is a fisheye and so there is distortion in the picture it produces. This means that as you move further from directly underneath the camera the visual alignment is going to get worse. They try to correct it as much as possible but its not perfect. Basically, what you see on the screen is not necessarily what you are going to get in terms of alignment. You will need to correct for it by using either a jig or some other method.

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ok thank you, I am sorry I have to say I am a noob when it comes to this but what is jig and how do you a jig and what is the best method ? is there any video or guide for this

thank you I will see to it

help ?

As far as the stickers, I’ve never done something like that so I think @cynd11 response is probably the most help. I’ll explain a jig through an example though. I etch a lot of round cork trivets from Ikea. It is very noticeable when the design is not nearly perfectly centered. To make sure it is, I use a jig. So my design looks something like this
image

I place a piece of cardboard that is secured down in the glowforge and cut out the square that has the same dimensions as my circular trivet while ignoring the engraved design. I place my trivet in that space, ignore the cut line and engrave. It gives me perfect alignment everytime.

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There are many resources in Glowforge Tips and Tricks category dealing with jigs (just search on “jig”). Here is one of them:

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I’m afraid a jig will not work very well for this kind of file…the indexing marks in @cynd11’s tutorial below will work better.

When inkjet printers print on paper products, the image can be shifted quite a bit because of variances in how the paper gets fed through the machine - the feed tray guides can be a little loose in most cases so you rarely hit the actual printing in the same place twice. So jigs don’t always work for this application.

This one is your best bet:

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Thanks @cynd11, that’s very helpful.

The software on your Glowforge is responsible for ensuring that the print lands on the material in the same place as the preview. When you’re done with a print, let a new image load. If the print appears on screen far from where it was supposed to go, you may have an alignment problem.

Most alignment problems come from the material being closer or farther from the camera than expected. While the software is still improving, you can take these steps for the most accurate alignment results:

  • Use Proofgrade™ materials.
  • If you don’t use Proofgrade materials, use a precision set of calipers to measure your material, and enter the thickness in the “uncertified materials” dialog.
  • Use material that is not warped or tilted.
  • Place your design near the center of the bed.
  • Clean the area underneath your crumb tray, particularly the four indentations on the floor.
  • Reboot the machine. Alignment can drift over time, particularly if you bump the head of your Glowforge while removing material.

Should you finish all of these steps, and find that you have an alignment error of more than 1/4", please contact us so we can investigate.

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.