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DirectMark Tutorial 2 Engraving a metal lighter

DirectMark Tutorial 2 for ProMarker Series | V001_DM-Tutorial (08/2015)

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DirectMark Tutorial 2 Content

2 / 13 © Trotec Laser GmbHDirectMark Tutorial 2 for ProMarker Series | V001_DM-Tutorial (08/2015)

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Content

1 Objectives of this tutorial ................................................................................................................ 3

2 Create graphic layout ....................................................................................................................... 4

3 Create a new material ...................................................................................................................... 5

4 Start marking .................................................................................................................................. 10

5 How DirectMark uses the material database ............................................................................... 12

DirectMark Tutorial 2 Objectives of this tutorial

DirectMark Tutorial 2 for ProMarker Series | V001_DM-Tutorial (08/2015) © Trotec Laser GmbH 3 / 13

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1 Objectives of this tutorial

This document will show how to:

Create new parameters in the material database

Do a light engraving on nickel coated metal Requires:

ProMarker 300

20 Watt

F160 lens

Corel Draw installation

Lighter (Zippo style)

Figure 1: ProMarker series

DirectMark Tutorial 2 Create graphic layout


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2 Create graphic layout

Open a new page in Corel Draw. (Page size should correspond to the marking are of the ProMarker e.g. 110x110mm). Open the Corel Draw file (Metal-lighter_Promarker.CDR) supplied with this tutorial and type in the text as required.

Check the dimensions of the lighter and make sure that the size of the graphic will fit on the lighter. (The lighter is approximately 35 x 55mm).

DirectMark Tutorial 2 Create a new material


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3 Create a new material

When the graphic layout is finished, print the page. This will open Corel’s print window. For this tutorial it is assumed that no pre-defined material parameters exist. To create a new set of parameters, click the Properties button of the Corel printer driver to access the DirectMark printer driver.



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The material data base is accessed through the pen icon on the DirectMark property page as shown below.

This will open the material database as shown below.



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The material database is organized as follows:

Materials are clustered in material groups.

Each material group contains different materials.

Each material contains 16 different sets of parameters each represented by a differ-ent colour.

1. Create a new material group using a right mouse click on the right half of the window and se-lect Create group from the list. A new material is created and can be renamed the same way.

2. Create a new material called “Lighter”.



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Once the material is created, the 16 different sets of parameters appear on the left of the window.

a. The Active checkbox needs to be set or the material can not be selected for a job b. The name of each set of parameters can be changed by clicking the corresponding entry c. In the column Print mode one of three options can be selected:

i. Bitmaps: The pixels of a bitmap regardless of their colors will be marked with these parameters. Only one set of parameters can be assigned as bitmap set.

ii. Vectors: Any hairline found in the graphic found to have the exact same color will be marked with these parameters.

iii. Positioning: Any hairline with the exact same color will be used as positioning graphic

d. These columns are used to define the laser power, marking speed and the lasers repetition rate.

e. The field Description can be used to type in additional information as required. f. All changes need to be saved before exiting the database.

3. For this tutorial, set the parameters for the material lighter as follows:

Print mode: Bitmap

Power: 60%

Frequency: 80kHz

Marking speed: 2000mm/sec

4. Save the changes, this will return you to the properties window of DirectMark.

a b c

d e

f



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5. The resolution for marking is not part of the material database, so it needs to be set as part of the job properties. For the lighter use the Logo mode and set the resolution to 1.000 DPI as shown below.

6. OK will close the properties window.

DirectMark Tutorial 2 Start marking


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4 Start marking

1. Send the job to the DirectMark printer driver. 2. Focus the laser on the surface of the lighter. 3. Use the positioning graphic to position the lighter. Press Border marking when done.

4. Use the Start button to start mark the job.

DirectMark Tutorial 2 Start marking


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The marking should appear as shown below, showing a light, whitish mark.

If the mark has a reddish appearance, the engraving is too deep and has gone through the nickel coating to reach the copper layer underneath. In this case check the parameter settings and reduce laser power if needed.

DirectMark Tutorial 2 How DirectMark uses the material database


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5 How DirectMark uses the material database

When a file is “printed”, DirectMark first checks the graphic file for vectors or hairlines. It then creates a spool file that contains a list of all these vectors and a bitmap for the rest of the file.

ProMarker

Original

Bitmap Vectors

Spo

ol F

ile

DirectMark

Pilot laser only (Positioning)

Not marked (color not active)

Parameters as per database

Resampling to DPI settings Conversion into 1-bit (b/w) Dithering or vectorizating Parameters with print mode Bitmap

DirectMark Tutorial 2 How DirectMark uses the material database


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The bitmap will be marked using the parameters set that has been assigned the “Print Mode” Bitmap In the material database. Colors contained in the bitmap are normally not matched against colors as-signed in the material database1. For the vectors found in the spool file DirectMark matches their color against the material database and uses the assigned parameters for marking. Vectors with colors that have not been activated or that do not exist in the material database are ignored and not marked. In the above example the yellow box will not be marked as yellow is assigned the characteristic of a positioning graphic and will only be used by the pilot laser. The blue vector outline text will not be marked as the color blue has not been activated in the material database. The entire graphic will appear as shown below.

1 Setting the printer option “Bitmap rendering” to „Apply all material parameters on print job“ will cause DirectMark to scan the bitmap by colors. Any pixel whose color is found in the material database will be marked with these parameters. Applying this option to a photograph, especially one that has more then 16 different colors, is not recommended as the result will be a mixture of colors found in the ma-terial database and the parameters defined as Bitmap parameter set.

Subject to technical changes.

directmark tutorial 2 - troteclaser.com · directmark tutorial 2 engraving a metal lighter...

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