We are a couple just starting to get the hang of all this and taking great care with our GF yet running into some issues…
Recently we started having the issue when using the proofgrade materials on default settings that the cut is visible slightly on the other side but not cutting all the way through. We are very careful that the material is laying flat, held in with honeycomb pins and ready to cut. Not sure why this is happening when it used to work fine. Perhaps a misalignment in the laser?
Secondly, our camera isn’t capturing the full bed. See below images of material in bed vs what shows via the camera. We used to be able to see the entire bed from the camera and not just partial. This has gotten worse over time.
Understand. Your posted picture shows that you can see 100% of the available cutting area. I haven’t checked in the past few days but an update a week or so ago skewed the position of the camera view to the left. It didn’t change what the camera sees, just moved it left and occasionally partially out of the field of view on the screen. If you want to center the image just drag it to the right. You can do this with the hand tool.
There’s pretty much always a tiny bit of warp – if you don’t force the material to lie flat, that will keep your cuts from going all the way through. The Honeycomb bed holdown pins or some good strong (but not tall) magnets are pretty much essential for good cuts.
Are you all the way zoomed out with the image centered on the screen? You should see not-photo greyness entirely surrounding the image when you are. Use the hand tool and the + - magnifying glasses at the top of the screen to adjust things if you arent.
(In the screen cap you posted, you are not all the way zoomed out, for example).
Regarding your view of the print area in the app, your Glowforge can currently print up to approx. 11" x 19.5". Engravings take extra room to speed up and slow down, so the area may be a bit smaller. We’re working on software improvements that will increase the printable area as well as the camera’s field of view.
Would you be willing to do the following so we can be sure that you’re able to see the entire printable area?
Turn off your Glowforge.
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.
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.
Turn your Glowforge back on.
Create a file with a rectangle with a stroke and no fill that’s 10.5" by 19". (If you’d like instructions on how to do that, just let us know.)
We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Place Proofgrade Draftboard in the center of the bed.
Upload your file, and center it over the Proofgrade Draftboard.
Take a screenshot of the Workspace to show us the artwork placement. Make sure to include the rulers in your screenshot and show as much of the bed as possible.
Reply with the screenshot.
As for trouble cutting through your material, there are three important things to check. First, your material must lie flat. This requires a clean, properly installed crumb tray and flat materials. Second, there must be no obstructions, dirt, or damage preventing the laser light from reaching your material. Third, your design must be set up properly - for example, with lines that are fully on the material and that are set to cut. It’s hard to know which issue might be affecting your print, but if you follow the instructions in the [cut-through troubleshooter](https://glowforge.com/support/topic/troubleshooting/cut-didnt-go-through-material), we’ll be able to get to the bottom of it.
Once you’ve inspected and cleaned, please try another print. We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Please print the Gift of Good Measure on that Proofgrade Draftboard and let me know the result. If it doesn’t print well, please let me know the date and time of your print and send photos of the front and back of the print.
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.
