Laser Shifting Items Left

I continue to notice that my laser continues to shift my designs to more left than i want. I have tried all cleaning instruction and still can’t figure out why this is happening. I am also using a digital caliper to measure my thickness of material which at this time is dog tags (.0330inches) which i am using for the material height and focus height

How much? The alignment can be up to 1/4" off and still be within what is expected at this point in development. The claim is that will improve through S/W updates.

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the dog tags are small in size so 1/4" seems a bit to be off by however I understand if this is the way it is now, Its just weird as I hadn’t had this problem until after an update was done, which is strange.

I’m not sure if you know all of this already, so posting in case it helps!

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.