I’m new here… just started my glowforge up a couple days ago. I am having the hardest time getting the settings right to etch and cut out a simple tag! I am surprised how difficult it is to find information on settings…. I have searched and searched. Or am I not searching in the right place? I finally got my tag to etch… but now it won’t cut. I have probably tried 25 different settings to try and not one has been right. I hope it gets easier… but why do they not have a standard place to find info on the standard activities and materials, I am feeling like they are lacking in this area.
Those tags don’t do much except pick out the material thar you can pick for yourself by clicking on the box and all the materials recently used drop-down, you can use the search function for anything that is not on the list.
You also get a lot of premium features the first month, and one of those you will see when you select your image and a list of shapes shows up on the right of the screen. the top one is Outline which like its graphic puts a line around your image and you can cut that line out.
There are two incompatible concepts in computer images. Pixels are an array of tiny squares of different shades that the laser will engrave different amounts but there are no lines that a laser can follow to cut.
For that, you need vectors (lines with directions) for the laser to follow when cutting. The lines can enclose an area that can be engraved (but only at one strength) and it can burn the line lightly (called a score) or the line can burn all the way through (called a cut).
At the moment, outline or square/circle, etc. (up at the top where it says insert shape will work for the next month before you have to buy into the premium.) If you have a way to make money from your work it is very cheap for what it can do, doing it as a hobby is a different decision, but then so is the decision to buy the Glowforge in the first place.
Inkscape is free and very much more powerful for vectors and Gimp is similar for pixel stuff so you do not need premium. I still have it anyway (along with those two) and it pays its way.
Meanwhile, you would do well to DL Inkscape and Gimp and start learning them (unless you already know and use the Adobe Set or similar paid systems)
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Welcome to the forum.
Getting started with new equipment is often a little frustrating. There are lots of people in this community that will gladly help you.
Glowforge guarantees that the Proofgrade material will cut perfectly with Proofgrade settings. If you are using non Proofgrade materials, it is very likely that one of the Proofgrade settings is a good place to start as you test for your desired results.
If you would tell us what material you are trying to cut and engrave, we can be more helpful when it comes to actual settings. Information regarding manual settings and understanding the relationship between speed/power/lpi can be found here: https://support.glowforge.com/hc/en-us/articles/360033633574-Working-With-Manual-Mode
It is also quite helpful to work through the Glowforge tutorials to become familiar with the interface.
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Welcome!
There can be a lot of variability, even in “identical” materials (e.g., individual sheets of wood, even of the same species, can vary in density, grain and, thickness). There is also some variation among Glowforge machines. So, most regular Glowforge users do systematic materials testing rather than rely on discovering settings from other users.
Here is one very good method for doing that with minimal material use:
The digital nature of controlling devices like the Glowforge can obscure the fundamentally analog nature of what one is doing with it.
Edit: If you provide details on which model machine you are using and what material you are working with, someone here is more likely to be able to tell you where to start.
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In general the proofgrade settings will work on almost anything as long as it’s laser safe. Getting into manual mode is when you want to get a perfect kiss cut, or something like that watch requires a fine touch.
What are you cutting?
Also, if you didn’t when you first set up your machine the First Prints section of the Support page is an absolute requirement to getting off to a good start.
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