Software Tutorial

XENETECH

Software
Tutorial
A quick start guide
To the Xenetech software

PROFESSIONAL ENGRAVING SYSTEMS

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Table of Contents
Chapter I........................................................ 10
CONVENTIONS .......................................................................................... 11
MENUS AND SUBMENUS .......................................................................................... 11
SOFTWARE BUTTONS............................................................................................... 11
USING THE MOUSE ................................................................................................. 12
HARDWARE BUTTONS.............................................................................................. 12
KEYBOARD BUTTONS ............................................................................................... 12
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................. 14
THE ICON BAR ........................................................................................... 16
LOGO MODE ......................................................................................................... 16
POINTER/SELECT MODE........................................................................................... 16
TEXT MODE ........................................................................................................... 16
ZOOM WINDOW .................................................................................................... 17
REDRAW ............................................................................................................... 17
THE TOOLKIT ............................................................................................. 18
JUSTIFICATION ........................................................................................................ 18
LETTER HEIGHT ...................................................................................................... 18

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BASE LINE/LINE Y CENTER/TOP OF LINE ......................................................................18

LEFT MARGIN .........................................................................................................19
RIGHT MARGIN .......................................................................................................19
ASPECT RATIO ........................................................................................................19
PERCENT FILL ..........................................................................................................20
SLANT ANGLE .........................................................................................................20
ARC RADIUS ...........................................................................................................21
BEGIN ANGLE .........................................................................................................21
END ANGLE ............................................................................................................21
X CENTER ..............................................................................................................22
LINE WIDTH ...........................................................................................................22
CUTTER SIZE ...........................................................................................................22
DRAWING TOOLS ...................................................................................... 23
LINE DRAW TOOL ....................................................................................................23
CLOSED SHAPE TOOL ................................................................................................24
BOX TOOL ..............................................................................................................24
ROUND CORNER BOX TOOL ........................................................................................24
CIRCLE TOOL ..........................................................................................................25
ELLIPSE TOOL..........................................................................................................25
ARC TOOL ..............................................................................................................26
FREEHAND DRAW TOOL ............................................................................................26
MOVE POINTS TOOL ................................................................................................26
SECTION CUT TOOL ..................................................................................................27
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JOIN POINTS TOOL .................................................................................................. 27

CURVE LINE DRAW TOOL ......................................................................................... 28
THE STATUS BAR ....................................................................................... 28
DROP DOWN MENU BAR .......................................................................... 29

Chapter II....................................................... 30
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................... 31
SETTING THE PLATE SIZE........................................................................................... 32
ADDING AND MANIPULATING TEXT ............................................................................ 33
FONTS ........................................................................................................ 36
INSTALLING FONTS .................................................................................................. 37
SELECTING FONTS ................................................................................................... 38
UNINSTALLING FONTS.............................................................................................. 40
REVIEW...................................................................................................... 41

Chapter III...................................................... 42
BATCH PLATES ........................................................................................... 43
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................................. 43
SETTING THE PLATE SIZE........................................................................................... 44
JOB SETUP ................................................................................................. 44

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COPY INPUT ............................................................................................... 47

HOW IT WORKS ......................................................................................................48
REVIEW...................................................................................................... 49

Chapter IV ...................................................... 51
MULTIPLE PLATES ..................................................................................... 52
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................... 52
SETTING THE PLATE SIZE ...........................................................................................52
JOB SETUP ................................................................................................. 55
ADDING GRAPHICS .................................................................................... 55
USING UNDO ............................................................................................. 57
GRID CUT OUT ........................................................................................... 59
COPYING PLATES ....................................................................................... 60
WORKING WITH MASTER PLATES ............................................................. 61
MANEUVERING BETWEEN PLATES ........................................................... 62
REVIEW...................................................................................................... 63

Chapter V ....................................................... 65
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GETTING STARTED .................................................................................... 66

ENGRAVER SETUP DIALOG OVERVIEW ..................................................... 66
TABLE X OFFSET, TABLE Y OFFSET AND ORIGIN ............................................................ 66
Z STROKE .............................................................................................................. 68
Z HOME ................................................................................................................ 68
Z DELAY ................................................................................................................ 69
Z DN SPEED .......................................................................................................... 69
Z UP SPEED ........................................................................................................... 69
Z FLOAT ................................................................................................................ 69
XY SPEED .............................................................................................................. 70
NUMBER REPEATS .................................................................................................. 70
CUTGRID Z STROKE ................................................................................................. 70
GRID SPEED INDEX .................................................................................................. 70
AXIS ORIENTATION.................................................................................................. 71
GRID CUTOUT IS .................................................................................................. 71
PLATE REVERSE/NORMAL ........................................................................................ 71
REVERSE PLATE ENGRAVE ORDER & SERPENTINE PLATE ENGRAVE ORDER ......................... 71
NO CUTTER SET AT START ........................................................................................ 72
MANUAL CUTTER SET AT START ................................................................................ 73
FULL AUTOMATIC CUTTER SET .................................................................................. 73
MOTOR ROUTE/DRAG............................................................................................. 73
OUTPUT TO ENGRAVER NUMBER ............................................................................... 73
AVAILABLE CONNECTIONS ........................................................................................ 74
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ENGRAVING THE PROJECT ........................................................................ 74

SETTING UP TO USE FULL AUTOMATIC CUTTER SET........................................................75
SETTING UP TO USE MANUAL CUTTER SET ...................................................................76
Chapter VI ...................................................... 80
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................... 81
ENGRAVER SETUP DIALOG OVERVIEW ..................................................... 81
TABLE X OFFSET, TABLE Y OFFSET AND ORIGIN .............................................................81
RASTER TRAVEL SPEED .............................................................................................82
RASTER CUT POWER ................................................................................................83
RASTER CUT SPEED ..................................................................................................83
VECTOR TRAVEL SPEED .............................................................................................83
VECTOR CUT POWER................................................................................................83
VECTOR CUT SPEED .................................................................................................84
GREYSCALE BITMAP OUTPUT TO ................................................................................84
LASER SPOT DIAMETER .............................................................................................84
CUT GRID POWER ...................................................................................................84
GRID SPEED INDEX IPS .............................................................................................85
PAUSE BEFORE GRID ................................................................................................85
AXIS ORIENTATION ..................................................................................................85
GRID CUT OUT IS ....................................................................................................86
PLATE REV/NORMAL ...............................................................................................86

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LASER FOCUS AT START ............................................................................................ 86

MATERIAL THICKNESS .............................................................................................. 86
DISPLAY THIS DIALOG ON DOWNLOAD ........................................................................ 86
LASER WAITS FOR START BUTTON TO START ................................................................ 86
LASER ROUTES BACKGROUND ON RASTER IMAGES ........................................................ 87
OUTPUT TO ENGRAVER NUMBER ............................................................................... 87
AVAILABLE CONNECTIONS ........................................................................................ 87
ENGRAVING THE PROJECT ........................................................................ 87
SETTING UP FOR RASTER ENGRAVING WITH GRID CUT OUT ........................................... 88
ENGRAVING TIPS ....................................................................................... 89

Appendix ....................................................... 91
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................... 92
XLT LASER COOKBOOK ............................................................................................ 92
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................. 100
XLE LASER COOKBOOK .......................................................................................... 100
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................. 108
LASER PRINT DRIVER TUTORIAL ............................................................................... 108
ENGRAVING THE PROJECT ....................................................................................... 110
LASER OUTPUT CONTROL TAB ................................................................................. 111
ADVANCED TAB .................................................................................................... 112

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APPENDIX D............................................................................................. 113

CONTACT INFORMATION .........................................................................................113
MAILING ADDRESS ................................................................................................113
TELEPHONE ..........................................................................................................113
E-MAIL ...............................................................................................................113
WEBSITE ..............................................................................................................113
ONLINE KNOWLEDGE BASE......................................................................................113

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic

Chapter I
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that
The Work space
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key.

The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another

excellent source for all types of information.
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such Conventions
Overview
as:
The Toolkit
Drawing Tools
Download manuals Status Bar
Research methods of engraving Drop Down Menu Bar
Troubleshoot problems with the
engraving system should they arise

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Conventions
Please take a moment to read through the following conventions. Understanding
them will make this tutorial easier to understand.

Menus and Submenus

Menus and submenus within the Xenetech Graphic Workstation software will be
described in BOLD TEXT. A vertical bar | will be used to further separate menus
and submenus. For example, instructions to access the Engraver Setup dialog would
look like this:

1. In XGW select File | To Engraver

Items within menus will also be displayed in BOLD TEXT. Instructions on adjusting
the Z Stroke value would look like this:

1. In XGW select File | To Engraver

2. Press the key until the Z Stroke field is highlighted then type in the desired
value.

Software Buttons
Software buttons are typically found within dialogs. When used in explanations, a
replica button will be displayed. For example:

1. In XGW select File | To Engraver

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2. Press the key until the Z Stroke field is highlighted, then type in the desired
value.

3. Click when finished.

Using the Mouse

Unless otherwise specified, the term click will always represent the left mouse
button (standard mouse configuration). The term click will represent a single click
of the mouse. The term double click will represent two clicks of the mouse.

Hardware Buttons
These are physical buttons on the engraving machine itself. These types of buttons
will all be displayed in quotes and underlined. For example:

1. Make sure that the spindle switch is set to Auto

The other type of hardware buttons are the ones found on the touchscreen. When
used in explanations, a replica button will be displayed. For example:

1. Press on the touchscreen

Keyboard Buttons
When asked to interact with the keyboard on your computer, a replica button will
be displayed. For example:

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1. Press for a text cursor.

When asked to type characters, words or sentences, the text to be typed will be in
quotes and italicized.

1. Press for a text cursor

2. Type My first plate

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Overview
In order to maneuver through the Xenetech Graphic Workstation, you will need to
become familiar with the various components that comprise the work space.
Drop Down Menu Bar
Icon Bar

Drawing Tools
Ruler

LAYOUT
Toolkit

PLATE

Status Bar

What you see when you start the software is the main work screen. The white
space represents the actual layout.

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There are rulers along the top and the left side of the white space. The rulers are
there to aid you when positioning items around on the work area as well as a
reminder of the current layout size.

Along the far left side of the screen is the Toolkit. Use the Toolkit to manipulate
anything that you have on the workspace.

Across the top of the Toolkit is the Icon Bar. These are icons for zooming, loading a
logo, redrawing the workspace, switching to text mode and switching back to
pointer mode.

If applicable, directly across the top of the work space are the icons for the Drawing
Tools. This is a feature that must be purchased and unlocked before it can be used.

While you are inside your 21 day trial period, the Drawing Tools will be enabled and
you can take advantage of those features.

Above the Drawing Tools icons you will find the Drop Down Menus. These are the
same typical menus that you find in most software programs. Basic functions such
as saving layouts and opening layouts are there as well as more advanced functions.

At the bottom left hand corner of the work space is the Status Bar. This bar will
display information about text, logos, plates, batches etc. For example, to see the
font for a line of text, select that line and look at the status bar.

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The Icon Bar

Logo Mode
The Xenetech software comes with basic logos to get you off to a running start. This
button will open the selector dialog from which you can import these logos to the
work space.

Pointer/Select Mode
When in text mode, pressing this button will put your mouse back into pointer
mode. This is the only mode in which you can select items in the work space or in
the toolkit.

Text Mode
Click this icon to get a text cursor on the workspace. While typing text press

to create a line break and start a new line. Click on the or to exit
text mode and return to pointer/select mode. Here are a few additional tips while
in text mode.

Pressing while in pointer mode will bring up the text cursor

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Select a line of text and press to put the text cursor at the beginning of a line

Select a line of text and press to put the text cursor at the end of a line.
If you need to retype a line of text and want to keep the original format, simply select

the line of text and press . Doing so will erase that line but keep all of the line
properties such as letter height and font.

Zoom Window
As the name implies, this button will put your mouse cursor into zoom mode. To
use the zoom, place your pointer over the upper left hand portion of the area you
want to zoom. Left click and hold while you drag a box around that area. When you
let go of the left mouse button your work space will change and show you the area
you selected. To zoom back out again, select Page | Normal View from the drop
down menu.

Redraw
The redraw is a screen refresh. Some items, like Justification, will not change until
the screen has been redrawn. Redraw is also good for cleaning up any remaining
screen debris that might be left behind after moving or deleting items.

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The Toolkit
When selecting multiple items, all of the information in the toolkit
refers to the last item that was selected. Any values that are changed
at that point will affect all items that are currently selected.

Justification
This refers to the horizontal placement of a selected item. Each click of the
Justification button will cycle between center, left, right and none. Justified text
uses the left and right margins for placement. If you have an object(s) selected,
they will be affected. If nothing is selected, then future objects will be affected.

Letter Height
This will adjust the height of text and objects. When altering the height, the width
of the selected item is affected also, in order to maintain the same aspect ratio. If
you have an object(s) selected, they will be affected. If nothing is selected, then
future objects will be affected.

Base Line/Line Y Center/Top of Line

There are three possible vertical positions for an object on a line.

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Base line refers to the lowest point of an object or text. This does not include
descenders on letters such as g or y.
Line Y Center refers to the exact middle of an object.
Top of Line refers to the very top of an object.
Use the Left and Right arrow keys on your keyboard to toggle between them. If
you have an object(s) selected, they will be affected. If nothing is selected, then
future objects will be affected.

Left Margin
This is the left border in inches or millimeters used by the justification selected. If
you have an object(s) selected, they will be affected. If nothing is selected, then
future objects will be affected.

Right Margin
This is the right border in inches or millimeters used by the justification selected. If
you have an object(s) selected, they will be affected. If nothing is selected, then
future objects will be affected.

Aspect Ratio
This is the width to height ratio of a selected object(s). So, if an aspect ratio of
1.000 is normal, then 2.000 means that the object will be twice its normal width.

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On the other hand, an aspect ratio of 0.500 means that the object will be half its
normal width (condensed). If you have an object(s) selected, they will be affected.
If nothing is selected, then future objects will be affected.

Percent Fill
This is the ratio between the vertical space that selected text and/or objects
consume and the actual plate height. For example, suppose you have a plate that is
8 inches high, (203.200mm) and you have a line of text on the plate that is 2 inches
high (50.800mm). Your percent fill would be .25 or 25%. To check the entire plate,
select everything on the plate and view the percent fill. Changing this value with
objects selected will alter their letter height proportionally.

Slant Angle
Slant Angle is used to rotate objects in degree increments. This adjustment works
on degrees so 30 is 30 degrees and 180 is 180 degrees and so on. In order to slant
an object, you must first select it and then select Font | Slanted. The object you
wish to manipulate must be selected before turning on slant.

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Arc Radius
If you have used XGW to arc an object then here is where you will make
adjustments to the arc radius. Radius is the measurement from the center of a
circle to the edge of the text. So if you have an arced line of text and the arc radius
is 2.000 then you have 2 inches (50.800mm) between the center of the arc and the
edge of the text. In this case, a 2 inch arc radius would be used to arc text around a
4 inch (101.600mm) diameter circle.

Begin Angle
This is the angle value where an arced line of text will begin. It could be considered
a left margin on the circumference of the circle. This adjustment works on degrees
so 30 is 30 degrees and 180 is 180 degrees and so on. Zero degrees is at the 3
Oclock position.

End Angle
This is the angle value where an arced line of text will end. It could be considered a
right margin on the circumference of the circle. This adjustment works on degrees
so 30 is 30 degrees and 180 is 180 degrees and so on. Zero degrees is at the 3
Oclock position.

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X Center
This is X axis (or horizontal) center position of an object on the work space. If you
have an object(s) selected, they will be affected by any values entered.

Line Width
This will display the length of any selected object. You can change the length of that

object by typing in a new value and pressing on the keyboard. Changing

this width of an object will NOT change the height of that object, so changing this
value will stretch or condense the selected object.

Cutter Size
This works with selected objects and will display the recommended cutter size for
that object. The suggested value is one that was determined and designed during
the construction of the font and adjusts properly as the size or scale is adjusted.
The cutter size can be altered for any object. If Normal Line is selected under the
Line/Group menu, the size of the cutter is displayed in the weight or width of the
lines.

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When selecting an item in the Toolkit, the new value will be typed in the Status Bar.

Once is pressed on the keyboard that value is transferred to the Toolkit and
the change will be applied to the object as well.

Drawing Tools
While you are in the 21 day free trial window, this bar will be visible allowing you
full access to its features. Once the trial has expired, the only way to continue to
use the drawing tools is to purchase them. Drawing tools are included with all
Xenetech Laser system purchases.

Line Draw Tool

Use this tool to draw straight lines. Left click to start the line and again to end the

line. Press on your keyboard to exit the tool. Clicking the mouse at the end
of a line will start a new line joined to the previous one. In order to draw a straight

horizontal or vertical line, hold down the key while drawing.

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Closed Shape tool

This tool works a lot like the line tool but with one difference. When you are

finished and press . One more line is drawn from the current position to the
very first position, thus closing the drawing. Shapes drawn with this tool can be
hatched filled without any additional steps.

Box tool
Draw boxes on the screen by clicking the mouse and dragging the box. Click the
mouse again to release the opposite corner. To adjust the size of the box, you can
grab and pull any of the polymarkers or select the object and make the adjustments
in the Toolkit. If you need an exact box size, you can adjust the letter height and
the line width of the box in the Toolkit.

Round corner box tool

This works just like the box tool except that the corners of this box will be rounded.
Not only that, but if you right click on this button your will have two additional
options to choose from as well.

Inside Round Corner Box

Large Inside Round Corner Box

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These types of corners will appear to be on the inside of the box rather than the
outside as the normal round corners. The radius of any round cornered box can be
changed by altering the value for arc radius in the Toolkit.

Circle Tool
Left click to set the center point of the circle and move the mouse away from the
center to increase the size. Click the mouse once again to finish the circle. The size
of the circle can be changed by:

Changing the letter height in the Toolkit

Use the polymarkers to resize the circle
Changing the arc radius in the Toolkit.

Circles can also be modified into segments or semi circles by changing the beginning
and end angles in the Toolkit. For example, with a circle selected set your beginning
angle to 180 and your end angle to 0. These values create a semi circle.

Ellipse Tool
Click the mouse to set the beginning point and move the mouse pointer to create
the ellipse. Click the mouse again to complete it. The radius of any ellipse can be
changed by altering the value for arc radius in the Toolkit.

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Arc Tool
This will allow you to draw an arc using three points. Click to set the first point. The
second click point is a pass through point for the arc. The last click is the arc end
point. An arc can be resized by moving the polymarkers, or by changing the letter
height or arc radius in the Toolkit. The beginning and end angles can also be
adjusted in the Toolkit.

Freehand Draw Tool

Just as the name implies, this will allow you to just draw like you were holding a
pencil to paper. Click and hold to draw. Releasing the mouse button will stop the
draw.

Move Points Tool

Any point of a non text object can be moved with this tool. Hold the pointer over
the point that you wish to move and right click. The mouse will automatically grab
the point. Left click to drop the point. This tool can also be used to insert points.
Move the cursor to the desired new point location on an existing line and left click.

Next press the key on the keyboard.

It is possible to move within an object with the Move Points Tool. Right click on any

point on an object. The key will move to the starting point for the selected

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segment. The key will move to the last point in the segment. Also, the and

keys can be used to scroll through all of the points in the selected object.

Section Cut Tool

If you have a section of an object or a drawing that you do not need, you can use
the Section Cut Tool to remove it. Draw a box around the portion that you do not
want. Be careful when doing so, any part of the drawing that comes into contact
with your box will be selected for deletion. Once you have the parts that you want

to delete, press on the keyboard.

Objects might need to be exploded before the tool will cut properly. Specifically
logos, arcs and circles must be exploded.

Join Points Tool

This tool will join any two points together. By drawing a box around the images, any
end or breaks in the lines will be captured. The first point found will act as the
anchor point and all other points found will be moved to the first. This tool is
useful in changing open shapes into closed polygons for hatch filling.

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Curve Line Draw Tool

This tool will allow you to draw a single line with multiple curves. Start by clicking
the mouse to set a starting point, move the mouse to the second point and click
again. Use the mouse to shape the curve and then click to set the next point and so

on. Press to end the line.

The right click in all drawing tools causes the new point to snap to the
point closest to your mouse cursor. This point is sometimes called a
gravity point.

The Status Bar

The status bar is located at the bottom left of the work screen. This bar will display
information regarding the job you are currently working with. It will show
information such as:

Plate number
Font being used
Current batch plate number
Number of characters
Current multiple plate number
Current master sheet of multiple plates

Selected text is also displayed in the status bar along with the font used on the line.
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Drop Down Menu Bar

There are 11 menus across the top of the workspace. Here you will find a multitude
of ways in which to alter layouts. Open the help for a menu item by hovering over a

menu choice and pressing on your keyboard. This is the easiest method to learn
what a menu choice does. All of the features are grouped under the drop down
menus for easy reference. For example, the Text menu houses types of text
manipulation.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

Chapter II
have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
Tutorial 1
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key.

The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another

excellent source for all types of information.
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such Getting Started
Setting the Plate Size
as: Adding and Manipulating Text
Fonts
Download manuals Installing Fonts
Research methods of engraving Selecting Fonts
Troubleshoot problems with the Uninstalling Fonts
engraving system should they arise Review

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Getting Started
In Chapter 1 we covered the basics of the work space. Feel free to refer back as
needed when following along with the tutorials. The tutorials in this chapter and
the next are designed to give you a basic idea of how the software works and how
to utilize the more common functions.

For this first tutorial we will create a single plate job. By the end of this tutorial you
will be able to:

Size and resize the work space

Add text to the work space
Size and position the text
Add, remove and change fonts at will

These tutorials were designed so that you could create the layouts as you read
along. The layouts from this tutorial as well as the next two are all saved and are
available to view on your computer. If you select File | Open the files are called
Tutorial1, Tutorial2 and Tutorial3 respectively.

Double click on the icon on your computer desktop to launch the Xenetech
software. The first thing that we will do is set the size of the layout.

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Setting the Plate Size

The size of the layout should be the same size as the piece of material that we are
engraving on. By size I am referring to the height and the width. Lets assume that
we have a piece of coated brass that is 4 high (101.600mm) and 6 wide
(152.400mm).

From the drop down menu select File | New This dialog has a multitude of
functionality, but for this tutorial we are only going to set our plate size.

3. In the section Size of Single Plate set the

height to 4 (101.600mm) and the width to
6 (152.400mm).
4. Under Size of multiple Plate and Multi-
Plate Offset Index, remove the checks from
the boxes.
5. Make sure that Number of Lines on Plate is
set to 2.

If you have done all of that, then your dialog will

look just like the one to the right. If it does then click

Looking at the work space, you will notice that it looks the same as it did before
except for one thing. The rulers have changed and now reflect the height and width
that we set in the Work Space Management dialog.

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Adding and Manipulating Text

With the layout size set, lets add some text to the work space. From there we will

cover some of the fundamentals of text manipulation. Pressing will call up

the text cursor. You can also click the in the Icon Bar to achieve the same result.
Use one of the aforementioned methods to get a text cursor on the work space.

With the Justification set to left, right or center, you will notice that you can click
anywhere on the workspace but the cursor will not move past the left margin, only
up and down along the margin. If you wish to place the cursor anywhere else on
the work space, change the justification to none.

Click the mouse near the top of the work space. This will move the cursor to that
location.

Type My First press

Type Plate
Press to redraw the screen.

Lets learn some basic text manipulation. We will cover

justification, resizing and changing fonts. When

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manipulating a single or multiple lines of text, you must have the items selected.
When an object on the work space is selected, it will have a registration box around
it just like the picture to the right. This box also has eight markers situated around
the box. These are called polymarkers. You can grab any one of these polymarkers
to stretch objects in a variety of ways.

To select a line of text, simply click it. This will put the registration box around it to
verify that it is selected. If you wish to select multiple lines of text, there are a few
ways to do this.

1. With one object already selected, hold down the key and click the next

object. While the key is depressed, each line/object you select will be
retained.
2. Click and drag a box around everything you want to select. Any items that are
completely inside the box will be selected. This is called a marquee select.

For now, select the first line of text and hold down the key as described
above and select the second line. Once each line has a registration box around
them we can make a few changes to them at the same time.

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In the Toolkit, click the Justification icon until it says center. Click Letter Height in

the Toolkit and type .5 (12.700mm) but do not press just yet, I want you to
see something. Remember earlier our discussion about the Status Bar? Have a
look at it now. Notice that the Status Bar will show you what you are typing as well
as the font and the text you are adjusting.

Press and then click the to redraw the screen. The text will change to
the correct letter height and move to the center.

Lets position the text on the plate so that it is evenly spaced vertically on the plate.
You wont need a calculator or a ruler for this. As a matter of fact, you dont even
have to have anything selected to do it. Click anywhere on the work space to
deselect the two lines of text. Select Plate | Even Spacing and watch the magic.
This is a quick and simple way to space everything out evenly on a plate.

With no lines selected, even spacing will space out all lines on the plate. Otherwise,
it will only even space selected lines. Keep this in mind when using even spacing.

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Ok, lets take a look at our plate. If you

have done everything that I have, it
should look just like this.

Since Even Spacing will become your best friend in no time. I will tell you

now that the hot key for this is .

Fonts
There are more than 100 engraving fonts available to you with the Xenetech
software. When you installed XGW you were given a choice of 40 fonts. Depending
on what you purchased with your system, you might have more than 40.

XGW will allow us to install and use up to 8 fonts per layout. They are stored in
what we will call our speed dial and can all be accessed from the Font menu.

In this section we will learn how to:

Load fonts
How to select between fonts
How to change fonts on lines of text

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How to remove a loaded font

To view the fonts in your speed dial, you must click on

Font located in the drop down menu. Look now and you
will see that you only have one font installed.

When you install or uninstall a font, it is NOT removing it

from your computer. It is just removing it from the speed
dial menu.

Installing Fonts
We will start off by loading three fonts into our speed dial. I am going to load
Helvetica 4 line, Optima 2 line and Roman 3 line. If you do not have one or more of
these fonts, then substitute for any font that you like. Heres how to do it:

1. Select Font | Install Resident Font

2. Scroll through the available fonts and select the desired font. In my case I am
selecting HELVET4L.FNT (this is the Helvetica 4 line font).
3. Press to load the font into the speed dial.

Select Font once again from the drop down menu and have a look. Helvetica 4 line
is now installed in position two and the check mark indicates that it is now the
current default font. Go back to the steps above and install Optima2l.fnt and
ROMAN3L.FNT or any two fonts should you not have either of these.

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Another easy way to load several fonts at once is to hold down the key when
you are in the Load a Font dialog. With this key depressed, you can select several
fonts at once.

Selecting Fonts
Once you have installed all three fonts, you should see
a total of four fonts including the gothic font. As I said
before, the check mark indicates which font is the
current default font. Right now that is Roman 3 Line as
shown to the right. Default font means that any future
text that is put on the screen will use this font. As you
place new fonts into your speed dial, the last one loaded will become the default
font. To change the default font, click the desired one in the drop down menu.
When you type new text on the screen, whatever font is selected in the speed dial
will be used.

If you have text already on the screen and want to change the font, you must first
select the text you wish to change. Then select the font from the speed dial. Before
continuing, change each line of text to a different font. Change the first line to
Helvetica 4 line and the second line roman 3 line. If you do not have either of these
fonts installed, then choose any two fonts as long as each line is a different font.
Once you have done that then continue reading.

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Lets try something a little different. You already know how to put text on the
screen and change their fonts so this will be easy.

1. Click anywhere on the work space to deselect everything.

2. Press the button to redraw the work space.

3. Select Roman 3 Line from the speed dial.
4. Use your favorite method to get the text cursor.
5. Move the cursor so that it is below the last line on the work space.

6. Select in the Toolkit and change it to .5 (12.700mm) and press .

7. Type In Xenetech

8. Press the button to redraw the work space.

9. Press to even space the lines on the plate.

Notice we did something different this time? We changed the letter height before
we typed the text. Once you have a text cursor on the screen, you can make
changes from the Toolkit before you start to type. Those changes will affect that
line of text. I wanted to show that not only can you manipulate text that is already
on the screen, but you can manipulate text that you havent even typed yet.

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Uninstalling Fonts
There will come a time when you will need to remove fonts from the speed dial in
order to replace them with new ones. Since we have not used Helvetica 4 Line in
our layout, perhaps we should remove it. First, make sure that Helvetica 4 Line is
not selected as the default font. Once you have verified that, follow along below.

1. Select Font | Uninstall Resident Font

2. Select Helvetica 4 line and click

3. If you click Font from the drop down menu, you will
notice that Helvetica 4 line is no longer there.

You can remove any font from the speed dial except:

For the font that is checked as the default.

Any font used in the current job.

Remember that this does not remove it from the computer. This only removes it
from your speed dial.

Before we review, lets save our layout. Select File | Save As choose a name for
your layout and click

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Review
This tutorial was designed to give you a start to job layout. We covered a few of the
basics including:

Sizing the work space for a single plate job

Adding text
Selecting and loading fonts
Uninstalling fonts
Plate spacing

The next chapter will utilize what you have learned here along with some new
concepts. If you are unsure about any part of this tutorial that was just covered,
please go back and review until you are comfortable. The more you work with
XGW, the better and easier creating layouts will become.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic

Chapter III
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that Tutorial 2
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key.

The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another

excellent source for all types of information.
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such Batch Plates
as: Getting started
Setting the Plate Size
Download manuals Job Setup
Research methods of engraving Copy Input
Troubleshoot problems with the How It Works
engraving system should they arise Review

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Batch Plates
A batch plate layout is nothing more than multiple copies of a single plate layout.
Each copy can be identical or each can be different, the choice is up to you.
Typically, each plate is different in one way or another.

Getting Started
For this tutorial, we will assume you have to make 25, 5" x 7" (177.79mm x 127mm)
plaques for a school. Each plaque will be the same with the exception of the childs
name. Each plaque will need to have a different name. The school has also
graciously provided you with a list of names for each plaque.

We will learn about a feature in XGW called Copy Input which will allow us to input
several names right into the layout. The provided list of names will be helpful here.

In the previous chapter, we created a single plate layout, added text and learned
about fonts. We will be utilizing the same principles for batch plates and we will
add a few new things as well. If you did not review the previous tutorial, I would
suggest that you do that now. This tutorial makes references to things already
learned in the previous chapter. In this tutorial you will learn how to:

Set up for a batch plate layout utilizing what you learned in Tutorial 1
Use Copy Input
Arc text
Grouping text lines

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Setting the Plate Size

Setting up for a batch plate layout is the same as for a single plate layout. For this
tutorial, let's assume that we are engraving 5"x7"
(177.79mm x 127mm) plaques.

1. From the drop down menu Select File | New

2. In the Work Space Management dialog, set
the height to 7 (177.79mm) and the width to 5
(127mm).
3. Remove the checks from the Size of Multiple
Plate and the Multi-Plate Offset Index boxes.
Once you have done that then click .

Job Setup

1. Press to get the text cursor to the work space.

2. Change the letter height to .5 (12.7mm) and press

3. Type the following four lines.
4. CONGRATULATIONS
5. xxx

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6. SENIORS
7. 2009
8. Redraw the work space.
9. Pick a font or fonts for your layout and set them as you wish. You can use true type
or resident fonts, the choice is up to you.
10. Change the letter height on line 1 to .25 (6.35mm)
11. Change the letter height on line 2 to .4 (10.16mm)
12. Change the letter height on lines 3 and 4 to .2 (5.08mm)
13. Select all four lines of text and change the justification to Center.
14. Redraw the work space.
15. Click and drag the word SENIORS down until it is just over 2009.
16. Select both of the lines of text. Click Line/Group | Group to group both lines
together.

17. Redraw the work space and press .

Lets utilize another nifty feature in the XGW software. Lets put the top line of text
an inch from the top of the layout, the grouped text at the bottom an inch from the
bottom of the layout and the final line in the center of the layout.

1. Select the first line of text.

2. In the Toolkit, click .

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3. If you press the keys on your keyboard. Notice that this button in the
Toolkit changes between Base Line, Top of Line and Line Y Center.

4. Use the arrow keys until you see . Type 1 (25.4mm) and press .
5. Select the second line.

6. Click on in the toolkit and use your arrow keys again to change it to

.
7. Since our plate is 7 tall (177.79mm), half of that would be 3.5. So type in 3.5

(88.89mm) and press .

8. Select the grouped text at the bottom and click in the Toolkit. Use your

arrows again and change it to .

9. Type 6 (152.39mm) and press .

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Lets arc the first line of text.

1. Redraw the work space.

2. Select the word CONGRATULATIONS.
3. Select Font | Arc
4. In the Toolkit, set the Arc Radius to

2.5 (63.5mm) and press .

So if we do a quick layout check, the first line

should be arced and the last two lines should
be grouped together. If you even space the
lines, you should have something like this.

Copy Input
By now, you have probably wondered why we used the three X's as a line of text.
This line is our temporary placeholder. We are going to learn how to use copy input
to import several names into our layout. This will create additional plates based on
how many lines are in the text file. In other wordsits going to make your job
very easy

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How It Works
In our sample layout we are creating 25 identical plates with the exception of the
second line of text. This line will have a different name on each plate. The names
will come from a text file. To use copy input:

1. Select the XXX on the layout. Make sure that

there are NO other lines selected.
2. Select Misc | Copy Input You will see a
file called copy input.txt. This is the file
that we want. Select the file and click
.

Lets see what happened. Look at the status bar at

the bottom of your workspace. Notice that we are

now on batch number 25 of 25. If you press

you will cycle backwards one plate at a time to the
first batch plate. Notice that each plate is the
same except for the line we selected. This is due
to our text file that we imported. Lets take a
quick look at that. Each name is on an individual

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line. Each time XGW sees that has been pressed, it moves to the next
selected line of text. If the plate does not have another then it creates another
plate.

A few things to keep in mind when using copy input.

Make sure to select the line(s) of text on the plate that you want to replace. When
you use copy input, these selected line(s) will be replaced. Once those lines are
replaced, a new plate is created and those same lines are replaced on the new plate.
Your text file can have as much information as you like. Keep in mind that at the end

of the line, you have to press . This lets XGW know that this is the end of
the line for a selected line of text. Just like our text file as shown above.

Before we review, lets save our layout. Select File | Save As choose a name for
your layout and click

Review
In this tutorial we covered:

Setting up a batch plate layout

Arcing text
Using Base Line, Top of Line and Line Y Center
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Using Copy Input

The next chapter will utilize what you have learned so far along with some new
concepts. If you are unsure about any part of this tutorial that was just covered,
please go back and review until you are comfortable. The more you work with
XGW, the better and easier creating layouts will become.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic

Chapter IV
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your Tutorial 3
keyboard. This will launch the help over that
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key. Multiple Plates
Getting Started
The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another Setting the Plate Size
excellent source for all types of information. Job Setup
Adding Graphics
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such
Using Undo
as: Grid Cut Out
Copying Plates
Download manuals Working With Master
Research methods of engraving Plates
Troubleshoot problems with the Maneuvering Between
engraving system should they arise Plates
Review
Visit our knowledge base at
www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Multiple Plates
A multiple plate layout allows you to engrave several smaller plates on a single
sheet of material. For example, lets assume you have to make 50 1x 3
(25.400mm x 76.200mm) name badges, and you have several sheets of 12x 24
(304.800mm x 609.600mm) material. Using a multiple plate layout, you can put
several of these plates on a single sheet of material. Using multiple plates, you can
not only engrave the tags but also cut them out or make guide marks for cutting the
plates out on a shear or safety saw.

Getting Started
In the previous chapter we created a batch plate layout, and learned how to use
Copy Input. We will use what we have learned previously and add a few new
things. We will be adding graphics to our job and also learning about multiple
plates.

Setting the Plate Size

Setting up the plate size for a multiple plate layout is a bit different from setting up
a single or batch plate layout as we did previously. Before we begin we need to
know two things. First we need to know how big our actual layout is. Secondly, we
need to know how big our sheet of material is. Lets assume we are engraving
name tags that are 1 x 3 (25.400mm x 76.200mm) and our engraving material is a

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standard sheet of 12 x 24 (304.800mm x 609.600mm) engraving plastic. So to

input all of this information, we will need to first create a new job.

1. Select File | New

2. Set the Size of Single Plate to the size of our
badges that we are going to make. So set the height
to 1 (25.400mm) and the width to 3 (76.200mm).
3. Place a check in the check box to turn on Size of
Multiple Plate (if it is not checked already). We will
set the height and the width to match our piece of
material. In this case, set the height to 12
(304.800mm) and the width to 24(609.600mm).
4. Place a check in the check box to turn on Multi-
Plate Offset Index (if it is not checked already. Set
both the X and the Y amount to .25 (6.350mm).

5. Everything else looks fine so once you have done that then click .

To review, Size of Single Plate refers to the actual size of the tag that you wish to
create. Size of Multiple Plate refers to the size of the piece of material that you are
working with. Multi-Plate Offset Index is used to account for the size of the kerf
from the cutter used to cut out the plates. This value can also be used to separate
plates so they match a custom fixture or vise.

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Our work space will look a bit different from what it did in the first two tutorials, so
lets take a minute and understand what has happened.

NORMAL VIEW IS A VIEW FULL VIEW IS A VIEW OF

OF THE SINGLE PLATE THE ENTIRE LAYOUT

When working with a multiple plate layout, XGW automatically zooms in on the first
plate of our layout. This is called Normal View and is always the default view for
multiple plate jobs. You can view the entire 12 x 24 (304.800mm x 609.600mm)
layout as well. This is called Full View, because you are viewing the full layout. To
switch to Full View select Page | Full View. Your screen will change to view the
entire plate. Notice that the plate is moved away from the left side and the top
.125 (3.175mm). This is equal to half of our mulit-plate offset index that we set in
step 4. If you were to add plates, you would see the entire .25 (6.350mm) of space
between each plate. This will allow the finished plate size to be exactly 1x3
(25.400mm x 76.200mm) after it is cut out.

Lets get back to Normal View so we can set up the first tag. From the drop down
menu select Page | Normal View.

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Job Setup
1. For the first line type Louisiana Gators and set the letter height to .20 (5.080mm).
2. For the second line type 2009 set the letter height to .15 (3.810mm).
3. Set the Justification of both lines to Center.
4. Even Space both lines on the work space.

For the fonts, I will let you use your imagination on this one. Load fonts into your
speed dial, swap and change fonts to your hearts content. I will be here when you
are done

After you have the fonts just as you like

them, press . I do this just in case either

of the lines of text was inadvertently
moved around while working with them.
Now your layout should look a little like
this.

Adding Graphics
The logo types that we will focus on in this tutorial are the software supplied logos
or XLGs for short. To see your logos, you must click on the in the Icon Bar. In
the Load a Logo dialog, you can scroll through to see all of the logos that are
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installed on your computer. If you notice to

the right side of the dialog, there is a window.
Directly under that window you will find an
Auto Preview checkbox. With that box
checked, any XLG that you click will be
displayed in the window to the right side of
the dialog.

So if you havent done it yet, click on the to bring up the Add a Logo dialog.
Scroll through the logos and select La92.xlg. If you havent done so, turn on auto
preview as described above so that you can see a preview of the logo. Select
and you will notice that your cursor has changed from a pointer to a .
Position your cursor somewhere in the lower right side of the work space. Click and
hold while you drag a box on the screen. When you let go of the mouse button the
logo will appear. When placing the logo on the screen, dont worry about size and
placement of the logo at the moment. Redraw the work space, select the logo and
make the following adjustments:

1. Change the letter height to .35 (8.890mm).

2. Change the right margin to .25 (6.350mm).
3. Set the base line to 7/8 (22.225mm).
4. Set the justification to Right.

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You can type fractions as a measurement

and XGW will automatically change the
fraction into its decimal equivalent and
then make the requested adjustment.

Lets do a layout check. If you were

following along your screen should look a
somewhat like this.

Using Undo
Any one that has used a computer has probably had to use the "undo" button at
one point or another. But for those that have not, allow me to explain what it is and
how it works.

Each action that you do in XGW is recorded into memory. So, if you make a mistake
and need to undo your last action or actions, you can.

In XGW, the undo feature has two properties.

With nothing selected, each time you use undo, the most recent action is undone
regardless of the object or location on the layout.

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If you need to undo actions to a particular object(s) and NOT affect any others, you
can select those items and then use undo. This method will only affect selected
object(s) and nothing else on the layout.

The below example utilizes both methods of the undo feature.

1. Select File | Save and call this job My multiple plate job and press .
2. Select the line Louisiana Gators.

3. Press the key and type your first name.

4. Redraw the screen.
5. Select the second line of text.

6. Press and type your last name.

7. Redraw the screen.

8. Select the logo and change the letter height to .65 and press .

9. Select letter height once more and change it to .90 and press .

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If we do a screen check, this is what we should

be looking like.

From here, there are two ways to put the

items back the way they were.

The first way is to just select all three items

and select undo twice. The first undo will put each line of text back to its original
state and will return the logo size to .65. The second undo will not affect the text
but will return the logo back to its original state. The second way would be to select
each object separately and undo them one at a time. I want you to see both
methods work in action so we will do both.

1. Select all three of the items on the screen via your favorite method.
2. From the drop down menu, select Edit | Undo.
3. You will notice that your text is back to where we started, but the logo is still not back
to its original height.
4. Redraw the screen.
5. Select the logo.
10. Select Edit | Undo once again and the logo will return to its original state.

Grid Cut Out

Since we are making several tags on one sheet of material we will need to cut them
out once they are finished engraving. To do this we will use the Grid Cut Out
feature in XGW. To turn this on, select Plate | Grid Cut Out On from the drop down
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menu. To verify that it is indeed turned on, click on the Plate menu. You will notice
that Grid Cut Out On has a check mark beside it.

Always make sure that you turn on Grid cut out BEFORE you create the
additional plates. Once you create the first line the grid cut out option
may not be available.

Remember the Multi-Plate Offset Index that we set at the beginning? That buffer
needs to be created before the additional plates are created. If you create the
plates first, the grid cut out option may be unavailable.

Also, notice that directly under the grid cut out option there is another called Cut
Guide Marks. This will not cut out plates, but will make guide marks instead. This is
handy if you are engraving plates on coated brass and cannot use grid cut out to
physically cut the plates out with the engraver. Cut guide marks will strategically
place small tick marks around the plate to guide you when cutting them out with a
shear.

Copying plates
Now that our layout is complete, lets learn how to copy it. In order to see the
plates being copied you will need to be in full view. So from the drop down menu
select Page | Full View to see the entire sheet. Since we have our first plate

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finished, we need to make another 49. To do this we are going to select Edit | Copy
Plate From there just type in 49 and click .

Another easy way to duplicate a plate is to press the

key on your keyboard. This will automatically create a
new plate ONLY if you are on the last plate of the layout.

This is because the key has a dual function. If the

very last plate on a layout is selected and you press it, XGW responds by creating a
duplicate of the plate that you are currently on. If you are anywhere else in the

layout and you press the key, you will advance to the next plate. Also, the
key will move to the previous plate but we will get into all that a bit later.

Working with Master Plates

Use the key to fill up the layout with plates. Once
you reach the last spot for a plate to fit, you will be
presented with a warning dialog. Select and a
new Master Sheet will be created and your plate will
be added to the new master sheet. If you take a look at the status bar now, you will
see that it says Master 2 of 2. This means that this is the second master plate of
two. But what is a master plate? Think of each master as a page. So the first
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master plate would be page 1. By selecting XGW knows that we want to

create more plates so it creates a second page and places a plate in the upper left
hand corner. Now we are on page 2 and it looks just like page 1 did before we
started copying all the plates. If you look at the status bar, it now says Master 2 of
2 (or page 2 of 2). This means that you are on your second page. If you press the

key, you will jump back to the previous page.

Maneuvering between plates

The fastest way to select a plate is to simply double click it. You will see that the
selected plate will have a registration box around it much like the example below.

You can also use the and keys on your keyboard to move about between
plates. Be careful when you reach the end of the plates that you dont accidently
create new ones if you dont intend to. If you know the plate number, you can jump
directly to it.

1. From the drop down menu select Edit |

Go To Plate Number.
2. Type the number 1 and click .
You will notice that when we specifically tell
XGW that we want to go to a certain plate
number, it will change our viewpoint back to

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normal view. So select Plate | Full View to zoom out and look at the first plate.

A quick way to maneuver from one master to the next is to hold down the

key and press either to advance to the next master or to move

back one master. On the same note, and will advance you to the last

master and and will return you to the first master plate.

Dont forget to save your layout!

Review
This tutorial was designed to teach you how to set up a multiple plate job. The
items that we covered were:

Adding logos to a layout

Using the Undo feature
Using grid cut out and cut guide marks
Working with individual plates and master plates
Maneuvering between plates and master plates

The next chapter will demonstrate how to set up layouts for engraving on a rotary
system. If you are unsure about any part of this tutorial that was just covered,

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please go back and review until you are comfortable. The more you work with
XGW, the better and easier creating layouts will become.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic

Chapter V
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that Rotary Engraver
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
Setup
your mouse button and press the F1 key.

The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another

excellent source for all types of information. Getting Started
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such Engraver Setup Dialog
Overview
as: Engraving the Project
Overview
Download manuals Engraving using Full Automatic
Research methods of engraving Cutter Set
Troubleshoot problems with the Engraving using Manual Cutter
Set
engraving system should they arise

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Getting Started
In this chapter we will cover the two common types of engraving, full automatic
cutter set and manual cutter set. We will cover the functionality of the Engraver
Setup dialog and how it applies to each type of engraving. By the end of this
chapter you should:

Know the difference between full automatic cutter set and manual cutter set.
Have a basic understanding of the different parts of the engraver setup dialog.
Determine what settings are appropriate for the material you are engraving.

This chapter was designed to only cover the basics of the Engraver Setup dialog.
Additional information can be found in the XGW help files or on the Xenetech
Knowledge Base.

Engraver Setup Dialog Overview

Note that all speeds and delays are shown as a number value ranging
from 0 to 255. The lower the number, the FASTER the speed.

Table X Offset, Table Y Offset and Origin

Table X and Y Offset work hand in hand with Origin. It all basically comes down to
this.

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When setting up a layout, you need to know your starting position (or origin). In
our case, the material is a rectangle and will be placed into the upper left hand
corner of the table. This is the most common type of setup. From this we can
determine that the origin will be X Left and Y Top. This means that the starting
position is at the far left side of the material as well as the very top of the material.

This all works in conjunction with the X and Y Offset, because once you know the
origin, you need to tell the engraving machine how far it needs to travel to get
there. In most common setups, the engraving machine will only need to travel from
its home location to the Origin. When you installed your software a default X and Y
Offset was set up based on the type of system you checked during the software
setup. This chart is the default X and Y offsets for our systems.

SYSTEM X OFFEST Y OFFSET

Viper 9x12 0 .5 (12.7mm)

Viper 13x13 0 .75 (19.05mm)
Viper 16x25 0 1 (25.4 mm)
Viper 25x25 0 0
Viper 25x50 0 0
Viper GE 0 0
Viper JE 0 0

So to sum it all up, in most cases you will be using the origin of X Left and Y Top and
the default X and Y offset for your system. As you become more advanced with

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your engraving machine and the XGW software, you can explore different origins
and offsets. More information regarding these can be found in the XGW help file
and also in the Xenetech Knowledge Base.

Z Stroke
This is the distance that the cutter will move up and down between characters. It is
important to remember when setting this value to add enough so that the cutter
does not drag between characters. For example, if you are engraving .060
(1.52mm) deep into plastic, your Z Stroke value needs to be at least this much so
that the cutter will lift all the way out of the material. It is also always good to add a
little extra because not all materials are perfectly flat.

Z Home
This value only applies during manual cutter set as it is not used in full automatic. Z
Home is the difference between the total Z axis travel for your engraving machine
and the Z Stroke value. For example, the total Z axis travel on a Viper 13x13 is 2
(50.8mm). Using our example above, if engraving .060 (1.52mm) deep into plastic,
then your Z Home amount would be 1.94 (49.27mm)

When using manual cutter set, this value is automatically calculated and added to
the engraver setup dialog. So when would you ever need this? You can write down
your Z Stroke and Z Home values for a layout and a specific material type. Then
when you are using this setup again, you would not have to go through the manual

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cutter set setup procedures. Instead, you can select No Cutter Set, type in the Z
Stroke and Z Home values and engrave.

Z Delay
This delay starts once the cutter has reached a predetermined depth. It is used for
giving the cutter time to fully penetrate the material before the X and Y axis begin
to move. This becomes useful when engraving at faster speeds or engraving deep
into harder material.

Z DN Speed
This is the speed in which the Z axis will travel downward. For example, slow down
the speed for harder materials to keep cutters from breaking.

Z UP Speed
This is the speed in which the Z axis will travel upward.

Z Float
This is only available when using Full Automatic Cutter Set. This is a measurement
of how much further the cutter will drive downward once the proximity sensor has
been engaged. This is useful when engraving on items that might not be perfectly
flat so that there are no missed spots in the engraving. It is also good to use on
material that is harder to engrave as you might want a little extra down pressure.

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XY Speed
This is the speed that the X and the Y axis will travel during engraving. Of course
you will want to adjust this speed with the different types of material as well as
different depths.

Number Repeats
To repeat the same job a set number of times, type this number in the box. When
the job finishes, the machine will move to its home position and the layout will
appear on the touchscreen, ready to be engraved.

CutGrid Z Stroke
This is the same as Z Stroke (above) except that this value only applies during grid
cut out.

Grid Speed Index

This is the same as the XY Speed (above) except that this value only applies during
grid cut out.

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Axis Orientation
If you changed the orientation of your job, it will be reflected here. The different
types of symbols are:

Normal Reverse

Sideways Left Reverse, Sideways Left

Sideways Right Reverse Sideways Right

Upside Down Upside Down Reverse

Grid Cutout is
If grid cut out is turned off, then OFF will be displayed. Otherwise, the grid cut
out amount will be displayed.

Plate Reverse/Normal
This is a reminder as to the orientation of the layout. The possible orientations are
Normal and Reverse.

Reverse Plate Engrave Order & Serpentine Plate Engrave Order

Normally plates start at the top left and work their way to the right. At the end of
the row, the engraver moves back to the leftmost position on the next row, sort of
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like a typewriter. This is the default movement for engraving plates. If you should
wish to change that, you have a few options.

Reverse Plate Engrave Order This will do just what the name implies. It will start at
the lower right hand corner of the job (or the last plate) and work its way to the left.
Once it is at the end of the row, it will move up one row and back to the far right and
start again.
Serpentine Plate Engrave Order The engraver will start at the upper left hand
corner and work its way to the right. Once is has engraved the last plate in a row, it
will move down to the next row WITHOUT moving to the opposite end (as in normal
grid cut out). Then it will engrave back toward the left and so on.

Reverse plate engraving order Serpentine plate engraving

Normal engraving order
order

No Cutter Set at Start

With this checked, the engraver will engrave based on your values in the Z Stroke
and Z Home boxes. These values are automatically put in after a manual cutter set.
This way, the values are set so the job can be run again without having to reset the
depth.

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Manual Cutter Set at Start

This is one of the two types of engraving that we will cover in this chapter. This type
of engraving requires that you manually tell the software where the surface of the
material is.

Full Automatic Cutter Set

This is the more typically used type of engraving. This setting will utilize the
proximity sensor on the engraving machine to detect the material.

Motor Route/Drag
In route mode the spindle motor will run from the start of the job until the finish
of the job. This is typically used when plastic engraving or burnishing.

In drag mode the spindle motor will turn on at the start of the job. Once the
cutter touches the material the first time it will turn off. At the end of the job, the
spindle motor will turn on until the Z axis rises to its highest point and then it will
turn off again. This is because the spindle belt needs to turn when the z axis is
moving up and down. If this didnt happen then the cutter would get hung up and
not move properly. This mode is typically used in diamond drag engraving.

Output to Engraver Number

If you have two systems, you can select between engraver 1 and engraver 2.
Otherwise, engraver 1 will be used by default.

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Available Connections
Use the drop down menu to select the engraving system that the layout is to be
engraved on.

Engraving the Project

BEFORE YOU ENGRAVE ANYTHING WITH YOUR SYSTEM, YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PLACE A
CUTTER INTO THE SPINDLE AS WELL AS HOW TO ZERO A CUTTER. PLEASE REFER TO CHAPTER 2 OF
YOUR TABLE MANUAL FOR THIS INFORMATION.

As mentioned earlier, the two most common ways to engrave a layout are Full
Automatic and Manual Cutter Set.

Full Automatic utilizes a proximity sensor located on the Z Axis of the engraving
machine (See Chapter 1 of your Table Manual for more information and location).
As the cutter comes into contact with the material, this sensor is activated which
stops the Z Axis downward movement. This happens each time the cutter moves
down toward the surface of the material. Using full automatic is preferred because
of its ease of use and simple setup.

Manual Cutter set does NOT utilize the sensor located on the engraving machine.
Instead, the user will manually set the depths as well as find the surface of the
material.

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Setting Up to Use Full Automatic Cutter Set

This is a preferred method of engraving because of its ease of use. Once a cutter is
installed and zeroed, the engraving depth is set by turning the micrometer on the
spindle. The nosecone, along with the proximity sensor, prevents the cutter from
plunging too far into the material. If you are drag engraving, then the drag adaptor
simply needs to be attached to the base of the spindle in place of the nosecone.

Lets assume that you want to drag engrave on a rectangular piece of engravers
brass.

1. Select File | To Engraver

2. Select Full Automatic Cutter Set.
3. Select Drag.
4. Check to be sure that your X and Y Offsets
are correct for your system. Refer to the
offset chart on page 67 for reference.
5. Since my material is rectangular and I can find
the upper left hand corner, Ill set the origin to
X Left and Y Top.
6. Since we are drag engraving, I want a little
down pressure just in case my material isnt
perfectly flat. Ill set the Z Float to .011.
7. Make sure that Engrave is checked under Function.
8. Select the system in which you are going to output to under Available Connections

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Setting Up to Use Manual Cutter Set

Typically, manual cutter set is used for
cutting out objects that require making
more than one pass. For example,
suppose that you have the layout
shown to the right. The customer
requested that it be cut out of 1/4
plastic. If you set the system to full
automatic cutter set, it will attempt to
cut it out in one single pass which could
easily ruin the material, break the cutter or yet both! Instead, manual cutter set is
best suited because the engraver can be set up to make several passes over the
layout, each pass engraving a bit deeper until the maximum desired depth is
reached.

Supposing that the material is 1/4 thick, we want to make 5 passes and our first
pass to be .030 deep:

1. From XGW select Misc | Multiple Pass

Setup
2. In the first box type .030. This will be the
depth of the initial pass.
3. Count over 4 more boxes and type .25 as this

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is the thickness of our material.

4. At the bottom of the dialog click the button. The software will average
out the remaining three passes so that each pass is about the same depth.

5. Click to automatically save the changes and exit the dialog.

6. On the engraving machine, remove the nosecone. (If you prefer to use a nosecone,
make sure that there is at least .25 of cutter extending from the bottom.)

The next step is to set up for manual cutter set.

From the Engravers Setup dialog:

1. Select Manual Cutter Set at Start.

2. Set the motor to Route.
3. Check to be sure that your X and Y Offsets are
correct for your system. Refer to the offset chart
on page 67 for reference.
4. For this example, we can assume that we are
cutting into a rectangular piece of material and
can easily find the upper left hand corner of the material. Therefore, set the origin to
X Left and Y Top.
5. Set the Z Stroke to .4. Keep in mind that the max depth we will engrave is .25 so
the Z Stroke has to AT LEAST be that much or the cutter will never come completely
out of the material.

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6. Set the Z Delay to 50 to give a slight delay between the time the cutter drops to its
max depth and the start of the X/Y movement. If this were a harder material or if I
were engraving faster, I would set this to a higher number to increase the delay time.
7. Set the Z DN Speed to 50 to slow the cutter just a bit as its dropping into the
material.
8. Set the XY Speed to 150 to slow the X/Y movement down a little. You can always
slow the movement down further using the pendant while the system is running.
9. Make sure that Engrave is checked under Function.
10. Select the system in which you are going to output to under Available
Connections.

11. Click to send the job.

The remaining few steps are done at the pendant and the system itself.

1. Press on the pendant. The system will move to the first character in the job
and will pause.
2. SLOWLY lower the Z axis down until the cutter is approximately 1/16 from the
surface of the material.

3. Press on the pendant to turn off the spindle motor. Make sure that the
spindle motor has completely stopped before continuing!
4. Loosen the set screw located on the brass knob at the top of the cutter. Doing this
will let the cutter slide down and touch the surface of the material.

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5. With the tip of the cutter touching the surface of the material, tighten the set screw
on the brass knob to secure the cutter.

6. Press on the pendant. This will raise the cutter and we are ready to begin.

7. Press on the pendant to turn the spindle motor back on again. Make sure
that the spindle motor is spinning before continuing!

8. Press on the pendant.

To learn more about how to cut out plastic or other materials, please
search the phrase Multiple Pass setup in the XGW help files, or How
do I cut out plastic in the Xenetech Knowledge Base.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic

Chapter VI
Workstation software is a great resource for
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that
Laser Engraver
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in Setup
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key.

The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another

excellent source for all types of information.
Getting Started
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such
Engraver Setup Dialog
as: Overview
Engraving the Project
Download manuals Setting Up for Raster Engraving
Research methods of engraving With Grid Cut Out
Troubleshoot problems with the Engraving Tips
engraving system should they arise

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.
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Getting Started
In this chapter we will cover the setup for engraving with your Xenetech XLE, XLT or
Duo. We will cover the functionality of the Engraver Setup dialog and how it
applies to each type of laser. By the end of this chapter you should:

Understand how power and speed affect engraving.

Have a basic understanding of the different parts of the engraver setup dialog.
Determine what settings are appropriate for the material you are engraving.

THIS CHAPTER WAS DESIGNED TO ONLY COVER THE BASICS OF THE ENGRAVER SETUP DIALOG.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE XGW HELP FILES OR ON THE XENETECH
KNOWLEDGE BASE.

Engraver Setup Dialog Overview

Table X Offset, Table Y Offset and Origin
Table X and Y Offset work hand in hand with Origin. It all basically comes down to
this. When setting up a layout, you need to know your starting position (or origin).
In our case, the material is a rectangle and will be placed into the upper left hand
corner of the table. This is the most common type of setup. From this we can
determine that the origin will be X Left and Y Top. This means that the starting
position is at the far left side of the material as well as the very top of the material.

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This all works in conjunction with the X and Y

Offset, because once you know the origin, you
need to tell the engraving machine how far it
needs to travel to get there. In most common
setups, the engraving machine will only need
to travel from its home location to the Origin.
When you installed your software a default X
and Y Offset was set up based on the type of
system you checked during the software
setup. For the XLE, XLT and the Duo, the X
and Y offsets are both 0.

So to sum it all up, in most cases you will be using the origin of X Left and Y Top and
the default X and Y offset for your system. As you become more advanced with the
engraving machine and software, you can explore different origins and offsets.
More information regarding these can be found in the XGW help file and also in the
Xenetech Knowledge Base.

Raster Travel Speed

This represents the speed that the X and Y axis will move from the home position to
the start of the job and between lines. The typical setting for this speed is 60 IPS.
The maximum raster travel speeds are as follows:

XLT 100 IPS

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XLE 70 IPS
Duo 70 IPS

Raster Cut Power

This represents the percentage of power that the laser will fire while rastering.
100% represents the lasers full power and 0% is no power at all.

Raster Cut Speed

This represents the speed that the X and Y axis will move from left to right while
rastering. The maximum raster cut speeds are as follows:

XLT 150
XLE 75
Duo - 75

Vector Travel Speed

This represents the speed that the X and Y axis will move from the home position to
the start of the job and between lines. The typical setting is 60 for this speed. The
maximum raster travel speeds are as follows:

XLT 100
XLE 70
Duo - 70

Vector Cut Power

This represents the percentage of power that the laser will fire while cutting. 100%
represents the lasers full power and 0% is no power at all.

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Vector Cut Speed

This represents the speed that the X and Y axis will move while vector cutting. The
maximum vector cut speed is 15 for XLT, XLE and Duo systems.

Greyscale Bitmap Output To

When lasering greyscale bitmap photographs, this option allows the image to be
sent to one of two types of backgrounds.

Dark background
Using this setting will give the color black (in the bitmap) a power setting of 0%
power and the color white (in the BMP) a power setting of 100%.

Light background
Using this setting will give the color white (in the bitmap) a power setting of 0%
power and the color black (in the BMP) a power setting of 100%.

Laser Spot Diameter

This will display the approximate spot size that the laser is making on the material.
This value will change depending on settings in the advanced dialogs. For more
information on laser spot diameter, search the XGW software help files or the
knowledge base.

Cut Grid Power

This represents the percentage of power that the laser will fire while cutting a grid
cut out. 100% represents the lasers full power and 0% is no power at all.

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Grid Speed Index IPS

This represents the speed that the X and Y axis will move while vector cutting a grid
cut out. The maximum vector cut speed is 15 for XLT, XLE and Duo systems.

Pause Before Grid

With this checked, the laser will return home after the job is run and before the grid
cut out is performed. When ready, press the start button on the touchscreen to
perform the grid cut out.

Axis Orientation
If you changed the orientation of your job, it will be reflected here. The different
types of symbols are:

Normal Reverse

Sideways Left Reverse, Sideways Left

Sideways Right Reverse Sideways Right

Upside Down Upside Down Reverse

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Grid Cut Out Is

On will indicate that grid cut out is turned on and off will indicate that grid cut out is
turned off.

Plate Rev/Normal
This will indicate if the plate is positioned normal or reversed.

Laser Focus at Start

This option is used for the older style lasers (65IPS and Aurora lasers). If you have
an XLT, XLE or Duo then this option is no longer relevant on our newer technology.
To utilize this feature, refer to the Laser Auto Focus Button on the drawing tools.

Material Thickness
This option is used for the older style lasers (65IPS and Aurora lasers). If you have
an XLT, XLE or Duo then this option will not work for your laser. To utilize this
feature, refer to the Laser Auto Focus Button on the drawing tools.

Display This Dialog on Download

This is defaulted to YES. If you set this to no, then your jobs will be sent straight to
the laser and bypassing this menu completely.

Laser Waits for Start Button to Start

This is defaulted to YES. If you set this to NO, then once the job is sent, the laser will
begin the job immediately.

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Laser Routes Background on Raster Images

With this turned on, the laser will engrave all of the white space on the layout and
anything else will be left alone. This will give the letters and logos a raised effect.

Output to Engraver Number

If you have two systems, you can select between engraver 1 and engraver 2.
Otherwise, engraver 1 will be used by default.

Available Connections
Use the drop down menu to select the engraving system that the layout is to be
engraved on.

Engraving the Project

Raster and vector powers and speeds vary between materials. Appendix A has a
handy cook book that will give you a place to start. Remember each laser system is
different so settings that work for one system might not necessarily work for
another. This cook book is designed to get you in the range with your particular
system. You will need to make minor adjustments to the powers and speeds to get
the finished quality just right.

When setting the travel speed values, the higher numbers does not mean that the
motion system will zip around at the speed of light. Each motor has to accelerate to
the speed and then decelerate in order to stop. Most of the traveling that the

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motion system does is close to the home position. In most cases, high numbers are
not necessarily needed because those speeds will never be seen. Raster and vector
travel speeds set to 60 will prove to be quite quick when traveling over distances.

Setting Up For Raster Engraving With Grid Cut Out

We will use Tutorial 3 for this setup. This has a little bit of everything and will serve
as a good example in using the different parts of the engraver setup dialog. For this
example, we will be engraving on engraving plastic sheets 12 (304.800mm) X 24
(609.600mm). Our job has several sheets as well as a grid cut out. We will use the
cookbook as mentioned earlier to set our powers and speeds. Follow along with the
dialog on the right as we step through the necessary settings.

The cookbook offers powers and speeds for various laser types. For our example
we will assume that we have an XLT 30 watt laser system.

Since our material is rectangular, we can put

it in the upper left hand corner against the
rulers. This also will be our starting position.
So we can set both the X and the Y offsets
to 0 and our starting position (origin) to X
Left and Y Top.
The Raster Travel Speed and the Vector
Travel Speeds can both be set to 60.
As per the cookbook for engraving plastic,
our Raster Cut Power will be 100% and
our Raster Cut Speed will be 100 ips.
Vector Cut Power and Vector Cut Speed
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are for cutting out objects in a layout. We are doing a grid cut, so set the Vector
Cut Power to 0
Set the Cut Grid Power to 100% and set the Grid Speed Index to 1.
Check pause before grid if you would like the laser to pause before the grid cut out.
For this example, leave it unchecked.
At the bottom of the screen, select your laser under Available Connections.

At the upper left hand corner of the dialog select Setup Dialog | Advanced Laser
Setup Midway down in the dialog you will see Text Output Resolution. As per
the cookbook, set this value to 500 and click .

Thats all there is to it. Once you have entered all of the values as described above,
click to send the job to the laser and you are done!

Engraving Tips
Remember that the settings in the cookbook are designed to get you in the ballpark.
You will need to fine tune the power and speed for your laser. Here are some
simple tips to make that fine tuning easy.

From our example we ran the job at 100% power and 100 ips. Lets say for example
that we engraved too deep into the plastic. At this point you would have two
choices. The first would be to reduce the power and the second would be to
increase the speed. Never do both at the same time! Increasing the speed will not

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only reduce the depth of the engraving but will also enable you to finish the job
quicker.

If the job did not cut deep enough, then you would have to reduce the speed. This
is because you cannot go any higher in the power since you are already at 100%.
Reduce the speed in increments of 10 and then try it again until you have the depth
that you need.

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The help files located in the Xenetech Graphic
Workstation software is a great resource for

Appendix
learning about different software features. Select
Xenetech | Help Contents from the drop down
menu to access the help files.

If you are on a specific screen or dialog and you

have a question on an area, simply click the
option to select it and press the F1 key on your
keyboard. This will launch the help over that
particular area. If it is a feature that is listed in
the drop down menus, simply hover over it with
your mouse button and press the F1 key.
A XLT Laser Cookbook
The Xenetech Knowledge Base is another B XLE Laser Cookbook
excellent source for all types of information. C Contact Information
From the Knowledge Base you can find items such
as:

Download manuals
Research methods of engraving
Troubleshoot problems with the
engraving system should they arise

Visit our knowledge base at

www.xenetech.com/kb

Remember that you can always email your

distributor or our customer service team with
related questions.

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Appendix A
XLT Laser Cookbook
This cookbook is designed to be used with all XLT laser systems. The powers and
speeds listed will get you close to the optimal output for that material type. Since
all laser tubes have different personalities, you will need to fine tune the settings in
order to get optimal results.

Once you know your exact settings, you can save them under material settings in
the XGW software.

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Acrylic .125" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 75% 70%
Speed 65 ips 87 ips 130 ips 130 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .4 ips .53 ips .8 ips 1 ips 1.3 ips
PPI 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi

Alder .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 25 ips 33 ips 50 ips 67 ips 83 ips
Resolution 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .7 ips .93 ips 1.4 ips 1.8 ips 2.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

AlumaMark 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 80% 72% 60% 45% 36%
Speed 100 ips 120 ips 150 ips 150 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 2 ips 2.6 ips 4 ips 5.3 ips 6.7 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Anodized Aluminum 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 90% 75% 56% 45%
Speed 100 ips 120 ips 150 ips 150 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Brass-Painted 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 94% 75% 70% 56%
Speed 80 ips 100 ips 120 ips 150 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Cherry .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 30 ips 40ips 60 ips 80 ips 100 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2.0 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Corian 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 35 ips 47 ips 70 ips 93 ips 117 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .4 ips .53 ips .8 ips 1 ips 1.3 ips
PPI 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi

Crystal 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 20 ips 27 ips 40 ips 53 ips 67 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Delrin Seals 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 10 ips 13 ips 20 ips 27 ips 33 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi

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Engraving Plastic 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 90% 75% 56% 45%
Speed 100 ips 120 ips 150 ips 150 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Flexi-Brass 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 90% 75% 56% 45%
Speed 100 ips 120 ips 150 ips 150 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 40% 40% 40% 40% 40%
Speed 1.5 ips 2 ips 3 ips 4 ips 5 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Glass 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 20 ips 27 ips 40 ips 53 ips 67 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Leather 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 35 ips 47 ips 70 ips 93 ips 117 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Maple .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 45 ips 60 ips 90 ips 120 ips 150 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Marble 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 30 ips 40 ips 60 ips 80 ips 100 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Mat Board 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 45 ips 60 ips 90 ips 120 ips 150 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi

Rubber & Stamps 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 15 ips 20 ips 30 ips 40 ips 50 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 2 ips 2.6 ips 4 ips 5.3 ips 6.7 ips
PPI 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi

Stainless Steel 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 10 ips 13 ips 20 ips 27 ips 33 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 ppi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Tile, Laserable 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 40 IPS 53 ips 80 ips 107 ips 133 ips
Resolution 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 dpi
Vector Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Walnut .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Raster Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed 45 ips 60 ips 90 ips 120 ips 150 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Vector Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2.0 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Appendix B
XLE Laser Cookbook
This cookbook is designed to be used with all XLE laser systems. The powers and
speeds listed will get you close to the optimal output for that material type. Since
all laser tubes are not created equal, you will need to fine tune the settings in order
to get optimal results.

Once you know your exact settings, you can save them under material settings in
the XGW software.

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Acrylic .125" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 87% 58% 43% 35%
Raster Speed 65 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .4 ips .53 ips .8 ips 1 ips 1.3 ips
PPI 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi 1000 ppi

Alder .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 90%
Raster Speed 25 ips 33 ips 50 ips 67 ips 75 ips
Resolution 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi 333 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .7 ips .93 ips 1.4 ips 1.8 ips 2.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

AlumaMark 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 60% 45% 30% 23% 18%
Raster Speed 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 2 ips 2.6 ips 4 ips 5.3 ips 6.7 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Anodized Aluminum 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 75% 56% 38% 28% 23%
Raster Speed 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Brass-Painted 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 94% 70% 47% 35% 28%
Raster Speed 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Cherry .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 94% 75%
Raster Speed 30 ips 40ips 60 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2.0 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Corian 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 80% 64%
Raster Speed 35 ips 47 ips 70 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .4 ips .53 ips .8 ips 1 ips 1.3 ips
PPI 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi

Crystal 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Raster Speed 20 ips 27 ips 40 ips 53 ips 67 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Delrin Seals 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Raster Speed 10 ips 13 ips 20 ips 27 ips 33 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi 200 ppi

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Engraving Plastic 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 75% 56% 38% 28% 23%
Raster Speed 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Flexi-Brass 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 75% 56% 38% 28% 23%
Raster Speed 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 40% 40% 40% 40% 40%
Vector Speed 1.5 ips 2 ips 3 ips 4 ips 5 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Glass 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Raster Speed 20 ips 27 ips 40 ips 53 ips 67 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Leather 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 80% 64%
Raster Speed 35 ips 47 ips 70 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Maple .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 84% 63% 50%
Raster Speed 45 ips 60 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

Marble 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 94% 75%
Raster Speed 30 ips 40 ips 60 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Mat Board 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 84% 63% 50%
Raster Speed 45 ips 60 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 1 ips 1.3 ips 2 ips 2.6 ips 3.3 ips
PPI 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi 60 ppi

Rubber & Stamps 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Raster Speed 15 ips 20 ips 30 ips 40 ips 50 ips
Resolution 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi 500 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed 2 ips 2.6 ips 4 ips 5.3 ips 6.7 ips
PPI 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi 250 ppi

Stainless Steel 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Raster Speed 10 ips 13 ips 20 ips 27 ips 33 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 ppi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Tile, Laserable 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 94% 70% 56%
Raster Speed 40 IPS 53 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 DPI 1000 dpi
Power N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Vector Speed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
PPI N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Walnut .095" 30 Watt 40 Watt 60 Watt 80 Watt 100 Watt

Power 100% 100% 84% 63% 50%
Raster Speed 45 ips 60 ips 75 ips 75 ips 75 ips
Resolution 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi 1000 dpi
Power 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Vector Speed .6 ips .8 ips 1.2 ips 1.6 ips 2.0 ips
PPI 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi 100 ppi

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Appendix C
Laser Print Driver Tutorial
With the Xenetech laser print driver, you can use other software packages to create
layouts and engrave them. One popular software package is CorelDraw. The
following is a basic tutorial on setting up a simple job and engraving using the
Xenetech laser print driver. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will be laser
engraving on 4x 6 plate (101.6 mm x 152.4 mm). The version of CorelDraw that is
shown is version X3.

The screen shot below is the main screen in CorelDraw. I have marked the toolbars
that we will be using in this tutorial so you can follow along and refer to them as
needed.
MENU BAR

PROPERTY BAR
TOOLBOX

WORKSPACE

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1. From the Menu Bar select File | New.

2. In the Property Bar, set the Page width to 6 (152.4mm) and the page height to 4
(101.6 mm).

3. In the Toolbox select

4. Left click in the Workspace and type the following.
5. New Orleans Saints (press Enter)
6. 2010 Super Bowl Champions

7. In the Toolbox select

8. With the text selected, select from the Property Bar and set the justification to
Center.
9. With the text still selected, from the Menu Bar select Arrange | Align and Distribute |
Center to Page.
10. Click the text and set the font and the font size in the Property Bar.

An easy and quick way to resize text and/or graphics without losing
the center point is to hold the shift key while dragging one of the
corner markers. This will hold the image in place at its center and
allow you to adjust the height and width together in scale.

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If we do a layout check, yours should look something like this.

Engraving the project

1. From the Menu Bar select File | Print

Any menus that are displayed regarding printer paper orientation

should NOT be adjusted. In other words, select NO to this menu box as
it appears.

2. From the list of available printers, select Xenetech Laser Engraver.

3. Click

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Laser Output Control Tab

The first tab you will be shown is the Laser Output Control tab. This is where you
will be spending most of your time when setting up to engrave.

1. In the Output Modes section, select

Raster Only.
2. Clear the check box for Use Color
Settings.
3. In the Raster Settings section, set the
Power and Speed according to the
cookbook that is correct for you laser
system. See Appendix A and B for
more information.
4. In the Focus section, select
Autofocus.
5. In the Plate Size section, set the
Width to 6 (152.4mm) and the
Height to 4 (101.6 mm).
6. In the Plate Offset section, make sure
that the Horizontal and Vertical offsets are both set to zero.
7. Clear the check boxes for both Use Horizontal Plate Center and Use Vertical Plate
Center.

To switch from inches to metric, click the

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Advanced Tab
1. Under the Laser Settings section, set
the Resolution to 333.
2. In the Plate Orientation section, set
the orientation to Normal
3. In the Engraving Orientation, set the
orientation to Normal.
4. In the LSR output File location, verify
that it is pointing to the Laser Inbox
folder. This is generally
C:\XFiles\Laser Inbox

Click

In the print dialog, you are ready to send

the job so click

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Appendix D
Contact Information

Mailing Address
Xenetech Global Inc.
12139 Airline Highway
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817
Telephone
1-800-XENETEC
1-225-752-0225
Fax: 1-225-752-1321
E-Mail
Support [email protected]
Sales [email protected]
Website
www.xenetech.com
Online Knowledge Base
www.xenetech.com/kb

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