Misalignment

This is starting to get frustrating. It’s a good thing I’m using cheap wood or else I’d be way more upset. I just wasted a big chunk because what shows up in the app is not what the laser cuts. The left side of the C is cut off a good 1/8 of an inch short of where it should be.

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Photo didn’t load. :slightly_smiling_face:

Just wanted to let you know though, that 1/8" is within the current tolerances. If you move the item to be cut or engraved under the lid camera you’ll find that you can get much better placement. There’s less fisheye effect to be compensated for.

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Fixed picture, but here it is.


It was by no means at the edges of the cutting area. It had at least an 1/8th of an inch extra on the sides of the text before I cut because I know the alignment can be iffy. Even with that extra space it STILL cut off a good chunk of the C.

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Did you enter the height of the wood into the Unknown Materials column? Or did you just use the Proofgrade setting?

Accurate measurement can make a difference.

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It’s .02 thicker than the medium maple plywood. I’ve been cutting everything with this wood and the same setting and the alignment has been a little off, but not this far off before.

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Sure the lid is completely closed? Tray flat in dimples? That sort of thing?

If so, try turning off the machine and letting it recalibrate. Sometimes if they have pushed through an update the placement can get slightly out of whack until it’s recalibrated.

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That is odd because the picture shows the red preview right up to the edges. Did the image change post cut?

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Looks like a little warp in the wood, the distortion is a little more in the upper left than the rest, and I don’t see any hold downs. I almost always use something to flatten out the pieces, warping and correctly entering the material height have had the greatest effect on misalignments for me.

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I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble.

Could you please try a few troubleshooting steps so we can investigate further?

  1. Turn off your Glowforge.
  2. 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.
  1. 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.
  2. Turn your Glowforge back on.
  3. We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Place the Proofgrade Draftboard in the center of the bed and print the Gift of Good Measure using the default settings.
  4. When the print finishes, leave the lid closed and wait until the fans stop and the picture updates. Without moving your artwork or your material, take a screenshot of the Workspace to show us the difference between the artwork placement and the actual print placement. Make sure to include the rulers in your screenshot and show as much of the bed as possible.
    • Mac: Press Shift-Command-4 and click and drag a box around your image. You’ll find the screenshot file saved on your desktop.
    • Windows: Click on the Start Menu and type “snipping tool”. Open the Snipping Tool > New then click and drag a box around your image. Click the Save icon and name and save your file.
  1. Send us the screenshot along with the date and time of the print, and we’ll investigate.

Thanks in advance!

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.