Frequently Asked Questions

Laser engravers can have several different processes for engraving, but for the most part:

1. The design is created or imported into vector image editing software like CorelDraw.
2. The material to be engraved or cut is placed within the laser tray
3. The laser engraving machine is then properly focused on the surface of the material.
4. The power of the laser beam is set depending on the type of material (such as wood, acrylic etc.).
5. The machine activates the laser and passes over the desired marking area on the surface of the material or object
6. The material is removed from the machine once it is completed, and engraving residue (soot, metal shards, etc.) is removed from the surface of the object.

The machine uses lasers to produce concentrated heat that removes the top layer of material, vaporizing it to create the desired design.

The light is focused at a specific distance and set to the right power level to leave a mark. Too little power and it will not end up marking the material, too much and you can burn through the object.

Laser engraving can take anywhere from 5 seconds to multiple hours. Quite a few factors need to be taken into account such as the material being engraved, the size of the design, and the power of the laser.

Though the actual process of engraving may be relatively quick, there may be multiple, longer steps involved in preparing the engraving such as rendering the design into the computer software, prepping the material being engraved, and removing any unwanted residue after the engraving process.

Please contact the Makerspace to confirm availability of materials and current costs.

Customers can bring their own laser safe materials to use with our laser engraver. However, you must first check with staff to ensure your material will be safe for laser engraving and compatible with our machines.

We only allow laser safe materials to be used on the laser engraver for health and safety reasons. Currently we allow wood and acrylic.

If using wood, such as plywood sheets, please ensure that the core is solid and not made up of different layers of wood that have been glued together.

If you would like to use other materials, they must first be checked by a Digital Literacy Specialist to ensure they are safe to use.

The Epilog and Glowforge are compatible with JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF, and other file formats.

You can create Glowforge-compatible files from a variety of different software platforms like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Autodesk 360, & Sketchup.

To print a file, you will use the Glowforge app in the Makerspace, which is a web-based application on our computers. You can either:

• Drag and drop it directly into the app
• Copy the contents of the file and paste it into the Glowforge dashboard.

Although they can cut almost the same materials, the machines have some visual differences.  Here are the differences below:

Laser Engraver:

• Uses a high-heat laser beam that can
  engrave, cut or score 2D objects
• Materials must be placed flat in a single layer
• Laser can leave modest discolouration marks
  (which vary depending on the settings used
  for laser intensity and speed)
• Can only cut thin boards of material (like
  wood and acrylic)
• Can achieve precision and detail

CNC Router

• Can cut and drill material into 2D or 3D objects
• The cutter moves in an X & Y axis
• No discolouration
• Can cut thick pieces of wood
• Can cut your object with more depth