That’s why I was thinking you would slap the material down in the machine, read the invisible code, and save the results to the cloud as one of your saved settings, just call it the name of the material or write some name in pencil on the adhesive sheet. Make sense?
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That was my initial assumption as well, then everyone in here started talking about wanting multiple barcodes so that it would just pull everything up automatically even for smaller sections. I personally will have no problem with selecting the material manually after the first cut, though I also gladly accept any improvements which allow for additional laziness. 
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I will probably still buy my Baltic birch for trial cuts and testing designs, but seriously considering the proof grade for all of my final cuts. Will be nice to KNOW its going to cut well and not waste time with a flub up
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@dan Are you going to be offering a cheap MDF type material as well? Something that we can use for prototyping before we use are nice stuff?
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Good idea!
Hopper fodder.
The box the GF comes in?
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Along with all of the refuse saved since we started looking at the world with new eyes…
“Will that stuff laser?”
Bingo.
No need to cut barcodes out; you can save settings can recall them easily.
As I’ve mentioned before, though, because settings vary so widely, I wouldn’t trust settings that work for one material when using another.
TBD. If there’s material you buy and like, please let me know and we’ll investigate. Lots of MDF has nasty byproducts when processed but perhaps we can source an adhesive that doesn’t.
We love that idea, but honestly, it’s a ridiculously expensive cardboard box. In the unlikely event that you want to ship it or return it, the last thing you want is to have it be a lamp already.
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Really not that expensive @dan.
If you want to buy one of the cardboard (well Millboard actually) box’s that I make, you’re looking at a starting price of $600 and that’s about the size of a shoebox.
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I don’t have anything specific in mind. It would just be nice to have a cheap material to prototype on. Doesn’t necessarily have to be MDF.
@dan: One of the big selling points on Proofgrade is that you put the material in and settings are pre-populated for cut and engrave at certain depth/colors.
But, does this mean you are avoiding all materials with significant thermal expansion coefficients, or materials which are hydrophilic?
Moisture content and temperature can make a pretty serious shift in desired settings and final results. Since you are shipping worldwide, you will run the full spectrum in each regard.
So, will you avoid such problematic materials completely, or maybe have them produce a pop-up warning users that this particular material may need some minor alterations to account for local variables?
The other aspect of Proofgrade (that the material is uniform) is still VERY attractive. So I hope you do not avoid such materials where settings are an issue.
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Can we get a Proofgrade barcode to print our own Dymo label for using on the shipping box?
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Settings don’t vary that much from sheet to sheet if you are cutting the same material and thickness. If proofgrade is the high quality material you are selling it as then settings should not change for the same material and thickness. Scanning the material every time you cut would be redundant and slow down the workflow.
If you were using this to cut very very precise pieces then I could see adjusting setting every cut.
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I think he means that if you cut with one setting for walnut then when you buy another piece it may not cut exactly the same. I have read that moisture content plays a big part in lasering. I was wondering if you should acclimate your woods like cigars before use? Not high humidity per say but leaven them all in the same area so they all have the same hunidty levels?
Definitely makes an impact, just like it does in cooking!
Have you looked at MDF core plywood? It would solve the knot issue. I’m not sure who you’re sourcing the plywood from but Columbia Forest Products makes some nice mdf core plywood and regular mdf both from their Purebond line which uses a Soy based adhesive which I think you mentioned is in the adhesive for the Proofgrade plywood.
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We’ve been thinking about this. We want you to be prolific and successful in your printing. 
Youch.
What materials are you thinking about?
I was replying to the suggestion that you use proofgrade settings on non-proofgrade material.
Yes, but it’s both weaker and doesn’t cut as well as plywood made from solid wood.
We looked at Purebond but it had some drawback I can’t recall. Maybe wasn’t available in 1/8" thickness? I don’t remember.
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I don’t have enough experience working with materials to name any specifically problematic ones. But I swear I have heard of woods which swell quite considerably when the humidity rises. I would imagine something untreated and relatively light, so possibly balsa wood or bamboo have that issue? I would say Bamboo certainly does not from what I have seen done with it in the past, but maybe that is treated bamboo /shrug.
Doing a quick internet search doesn’t show any discussions particular to this with lasers, so possibly there is no significant change in power required. I did learn a lot about where in a tree you are allowed to cut lumber intended for various applications though.
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Wood definitely shrinks and swells with weather. I haven’t seen it do so enough to affect laser settings yet, but perhaps we haven’t looked closely enough.
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