The material test can be used for different laser types. I do not have an XTool, so I have no way of testing myself, but should be possible from what they are advertising.
I tried to use the tool to create the color grid with satisfactory results, but when I put the parameters in the layers of any image, the marking comes out all black without showing the colors, as if the lightburn layers were not communicating well the parameters to the controller. is there any solution?
That is odd. I have not experienced that issue. If it happened to me I would: 1) Double check focus first 2) Test each layer using a square the same size as the test grid square to see if you get the same results as the test. If they are still all black, 3) Double check layer settings and look for unwanted subroutines on the layer 4) Restart the laser and the computer and repeat step 2. 5) If results are still black, attempt another established setting from your library and see if that gets the expected result. 6) Double check laser configuration settings. I use IPG-YLMP for my JPT MOPA. 7) If no change, contact LightBurn support.
Hello. I have never heard of Voiern, so I will not say anything on them or their products. CloudRay makes an acceptable machine. Normally not the highest quality components or customer service, but for the most part they work and will send you replacement components if something is broken. If I was to endorse any laser right now, it would be one from Pascal at Haotian Laser. I have not personally bought from him yet, but know several people that have and were very satisfied with the machine and the after sales support.
I have had this laser for 3 months and I have not been able to engrave anything. I do not know if it is the laser or me. I appreciate all you do for an Idiot like me. I have downloaded a material library and the laser params Converter and still I am having issues. Can you suggest any kind of test if there is an issue with the machine?
I would start with making sure the source is powered. My laser has a separate key to turn the source on, that is separate from activating the Galvo head and controller card. From there I would make sure your lens cover is off and try to find your focus. Get a piece of steel and place it on the table under the lens. Look for the “F” number on your lens (ie a 175x175 is F254) Set your lens height the F number +100mm) For your 100w, I would start with 600mm/s, 80%, 70khz, 650ns. Run a circle or square with those settings on continuous and slowly turn down the lens until you see the brightest sparks.
@@MakrTheory Sorry. I didn't explain myself well enough. The laser itself works. My issue is when I use the settings I find on videos and use the same material the video says to use I do not get the same result. For example, I am trying to do what you are doing in this video such as engraving color on dog tags. I have a 100w laser so I use a converter to get the right parameters from your settings on a 30w laser. I do not get colors. I have done it multiple times and got different results each time. Thank you for all the help
@@harrygithens3908 I see now. Your machine a has a lot more power and a different power curve. I would ignore that converter. I haven’t found one online that has worked very well for me. I think they making some wrong assumptions on how lenses and sources work together. I have been working on a better converter, and plan to post a new video with some helpful sample files to get people started very soon. In the meantime, if you want to share your lens and verify if your source model has an “E” in the full model number, I can try to give you a head start with some base settings.
@@MakrTheory I HAVE LOOKED FOR DAYS AND CAN NOT FIND ANY NUMBERS I THINK THAT THIS LASER IS BAD. I WAS LOOKING FOR A FILE THAT CAN TEST THE LASER. DOSE A FILE EXIST. YOU KNOW ONE THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE SAME THING EVERY TIME SAME SIZE, COLOR AND DEPTH OF CUT. I HAVE DOWNLOADED A LIBRARY FOR A 100W FIBER LASER WITH A 300 LENS. THIS IS MY LASER SETUP NOW. IT HAS A P-MAG FILE WITH BROWN, GRAY, TAN. I DO NOT GET ANY OF THE COLORS. I AM ABOUT TO GIVE UP. CAN YOU HELP
It has crossed my mind several times. I feel the document alone wouldn’t be as beneficial without a tutorial to walk through it. It is a priority once I get back to making content again.
@MakrTheory Thank You. I tried to screen shot the points in the video that shows your plates and markings...I never got the same results but I keep trying and it's frustrating as I have a 60W Mopa JPT and it must be slightly different as none of my colors are VIBRANT...never know when to leave cross Hatch on...di-directional on..or off....but hey I'm still learning.
@MasterTheNEC there are some variables that will change with every setup. The lenses typically used on these lasers are “economy” grade and have a wide range of variability in the focus and work area. This will change your spot size and the ability to mark materials. I try to do everything as a single pass, no crosshatch. I would select bidirectional or unidirectional and just keep that setting fixed through the tests.
@MakrTheory Thanks. My lens is 175mm x 175mm. I will learn it eventually but kinda wish I just got the 60W Fiber rather than the MOPA at this point..but I keep trying...LOL
@MasterTheNEC I felt that way initially too because the MOPA adds another variable to figure out. Honestly the MOPA is the better machine and can do way more, once you get used to it. When you get a color you like, do a new grid narrowing in on those same variables. If you are already really tight on one of those variables, you can lock them in and start using another variable on the grid to see if that helps vibrancy. Just take it in small changes.
Hey thanks for this. I just ordered my scope and will be doing this by the end of the week. SN: I was watching a video on fiber laser on glass and they mentioned a calculator you were working on almost a year ago. Have you finished that and is it available? Thanks.
You are welcome. It makes a world of difference, especially on photo engraves. The calculator got put on hold last year with all my other video plans. Looking to get back to it some point this year. My plan is to make it a free and easily accessible online calculator, but last time I was trying to work on it, it was going to require a custom website and good developers aren’t cheap. I’m hoping someone has developed a plugin that will do what I want since then.
You dont say why the jump settings are incorrect in your example or what changing them did? What line am I supposed to be lining up on the grid to have the correct jump settings as there are multiple lines and they dont look like they line up with anything on the grid?
You want to have the jump delay as low as possible to prevent excessive run times, but if they are too short, the laser starts marking before it stabilizes the mirrors. This causes the line to show a slight wobble at the start. The lines on the perimeter are there as a reference scale, similar to the other timing test. I may remove them when I refresh this video to prevent confusion going forward.
@@MakrTheory So basically just set the jump setting so the line is straight and not curved at the tip correct? Do these settings need to be repeated for a different lens each time?
@@hcues1 Correct on the curve/wiggle at the line start. Unless you used a really small lens (50x50 or 70x70) to do the timing and then switch to a 300x300, you should be good for all lenses, especially if you used magnification to inspect the test marks.
I can try to guide you in the right direction, but it will really depend on your specific setup. What size lens are you using? There should be a marking on the lens stating something like “110x110 F160”.
@@harrygithens3908 lens is likely your issue because the spot size is so small. You either have to drop the power even further and tighten up the line distance, or switch to a larger lens. I got my best results with my 300, but each machine and lens is different.
Thank you for your help. My laser will not go lower that 600mms but with my speed set at 600mms all I get is a silver/gray color for all boxes. I have started to change my setting hope I can find the right setting. Thank you you have a grate video.
You can start with what I ran on one of my initial tests that got color, but I would drop the power to 30% of what I use in the video. Lens plays a factor as well. If you are using a lens smaller than 175x175 (F254), you will likely need to drop power a little more.
@MasterTheNEC I have not published them, but I am currently working on something that would help people find their starting points. I will be announcing them in a video soon.
I have had some rust on a one sample, but not on most of them. I live in a dry desert climate, so I’m assuming that is proving me a positive result than other videos I have seen discussing colors rusting. I have been wanting to make a follow-up video with testing for corrosion, but have had a shift in priorities since I made this video.
Really wonderful and informative-thank you so much for posting! You answered many of the same questions I’ve been wondering about myself! I was wondering how the colors have survived now one year later. Do you see any degradation? Any patterns of what colors are more stable? Do the samples on 316 survive any better than the 304 etchings?
Thank you. Most have survived well. With no after treatment, some corrosion appeared on one of the bottle opener samples of unknown alloy (assuming 304), but it was on a seemingly random spot. The others appear to be doing fine, but I live in a dry desert climate.
If you are looking to use it as a reference chart to get colors on your laser, I would strongly suggest you run your own tests with your specific laser and setup. My settings will likely not work on your machine, which is why I explained the process without providing specific settings.
I provided a link to the dog tags in the description. The bottle openers are no longer sold by that same supplier, so I have to buy some others and test to provide a link. The 416 and 17-4 were from OnlineMetals.com. I'll update with a link in the description this weekend. The 316L discs were scrap slugs from a local metal shop. It was a lucky find and I grabbed what they had of them at scrap prices.
Easily the most interesting color results I've ever gotten have been due to some enigmatic variable, out of focus bent material, some forgien subtance on my material etc. Engraving curvy stainless steel surfaces speficlly snap button rivet heads I've one or two times I've goten a incredible rainbow effect across the material in a single operation. My approach to stainless targets is simply understanding what ranges of what paraments yield color and blindly picking a spot in that range as I am not targeting a spefic color most of the time, and I like the things I make to have unique qualities. Great video thanks for sharing your results.
That sounds like a very interesting process. All my projects have been for someone wanting a specific color or appearance. The bespoke approach you have taken sounds like a lot more fun and less stressful. Thank you for sharing.
MOPA helps give more options and fine tuning, but is not required to get colors. It is all about getting the right settings. I focused on MOPA because that is what I have and it seems to be the big selling point most manufacturers use for them.
Great job, However I have a Snapmaker Ray diode 40w. I am not sure of the settings in the material test because they are different than the ones you used. I am ordering the dog tags to start trying like you did. Again, great job.
Thank you. Diode will definitely be a different setting than Fiber due to the different wave length of the laser (450nm vs 1064nm) and the way it is absorbed by the metal. Best of luck.
It really depends on the settings and laser. I have managed to get color with my F254 (175x175) and my F420 (300x300) on my 30w M1 JPT. I know other people use the F254 with their 60w M7 for color as well.
Great video! Really appreciate the detail and time spent on this video. I'm about to embark on my very first Laser journey and this was super helpful, so thank you again....FYI, I purchased Cloudray 60 watt MOPA JPT and can't wait to get rolling!
Thank you. I am glad you found it helpful. 60w JPT is a great “do everything” source. I definitely regret not spending the extra money on a 60w instead of my 30w.
You can get a shimmery “white” and black/dark gray. Colors are limited to iron alloys (ferrous metals) and some exotic materials like titanium. Good way to verify is if you can heat the metal to near melting and see a rainbow effect after it cools, you can laser mark colors. It doesn’t take a lot of power to make the color marks on stainless. 20w is adequate, but if you also plan to do engravings on larger items, you will want more power.
Awesome video mate. Been doing a lot of aluminum engraving lately, and looking to branch into stainless specifically for the colour engraving. Thank you sir!
Ok, I got it. I didn't even need a different tutorial. There are a few things you skipped over and I wasn't understanding the grids and then figuring out which settings worked with which line was frustrating. You didn't mention that the final settings could include a negative number. And this caused me a ton of problems. Once I figured out what was going on I got the laser totally tuned and the jump settings were perfect right off the start. My final settings for my 50 watt omtech 200 X 200 mm fiber laser was - *Laser on TC -170 (Yes minus 170) *Laser off TC 170 *End TC didn't seem to do much either way I went so I left it at 200 based on your settings on your laser. And same with polygon I left at 100. The timing grid is perfect. The jump settings are perfect. Now that I have it figured out and know the road, it isn't so mysterious. Sorry for the drama.. That's what you get from a vet with PTSD. 😁
I am glad you got it straightened out. I appreciate the feedback and reviewed the video myself. I agree I was much more thorough with explanations on the EZCAD portion when compared to the LightBurn portion. A mistake on my part for having recorded them consecutively and not reviewed them independently as a LightBurn user would. I will have to make a revised video for that portion. I'll also make sure to mention that some settings may require a negative value. Thank you.
Excellent videos, I’m looking to buy a mopa fiber laser to mark metal, mostly copper, brass. My question for you is what gives the color, is it a frequency of the laser type thing as it seems by watching you video or is there a physical color dye that is somehow added to give color? I’ve searched for information on this and am getting conflicting answers to the question. Thanks
Thank you. Marking copper and brass take a lot of energy, so if you plan to mark large pieces or quantities of pieces more than just hobby, I would definitely look to 60w or more. For the color marking, there are no dyes. I have seen conflicting answers as well. For the most visible and vibrant colors, I believe the answer is a mix of the microscopic grooves left in the material distorting the light and the heat temper of the metal. If it was only the grooves, we should be able to get the same colors on aluminum or copper alloys as well, but I have never seen them on those materials.
Since the focus seems to play such an important role, do you know if the material thickness plays a role? Would it mess with the focus ever so slightly, resulting in different colors with the same settings?
When focus was properly set, thickness did not appear to make any difference on the material test grids. Perhaps that could change when marking a large area and a thin material were to overheat or warp. But that would be an issue of going out of focus.
Hi love your video. I have a 60 watt mopa using a 175 lens. I have been trying to get RED but can’t seem to dial it in on stainless steel. Can you guide me to get some red. I know you said in your video you said you were out of focus so i need a little help Thank you Ron
Thank you. If you have a deep blue color, try altering your speed and line distance by a factor of 1.25. (If line distance is .004 x 1.25 = .005 and speed could be 200 x 1.25 = 250) I have a friend in the Laser Maker’s Realm Discord that recently did that on his 60w MOPA with a 220 lens and it worked well. If that doesn’t work for you, I don’t know his exact settings, but if you join the Discord you could see some of the test grids he shared in the “fiber-show-off” channel. Those might steer you closer. Link is case sensitive discord.gg/Fyuea5dv
@@ronnyallred4540 you are welcome. Please let me know how it works out for you. Colors are tough and some of my theories are still a work in progress. I am hoping to have more time for content creation in 2024, but family takes priority over side projects.
I want a machine that can do the same on copper, although I'm not too hung up on colors id like a real dark finish on copper, so I'm still researching i will be putting detailed images on copper
Copper takes a lot of energy to mark because of how quickly it dissipates the heat. A newer 30w will work, but I recommend 50w or more if you plan on having a work area bigger than 110mmx110mm.
Could be either one. If you know what model your laser source is, you should be able to look it up. Most common MOPA sources are the JPT “M” series. Model number should have “-M1-“, “-M6-“, “-M7-“, or “-M8-“ in the model number. There are other variable pulse width MOPA sources, but I am not very familiar with them.
@@47zeroexcellent! I always preface turning on the radio button with finding out the model source and if it is capable of adjusting the QPulse. I am glad you were able to get it working and start making some colors.
Haha. Definitely one of the more frustrating ways to get started, but not impossible. All marking has to start with a blind guess. Changing one setting at a time is the key to learning how they each work.
@@MakrTheory Yeah, I can see I gotta start with learning what speed, frequency, power and all that new terminology is. I just got a Mopa G160 Fiber Laser from Monport and this is all overwhelming...LOL
@MasterTheNEC be sure to checkout some of the tutorials Patrick @lsengraving has done with his Monport. He has a lot more content than I do with some starting settings. Once you get a good mark you like, you can start manipulating the settings to see what they do. If time permits, I have plans to make more content explaining the settings and other tricks of the trade.
Whats an easy way to get the perfect focus on your lens? Recently got a 60w MOPA fiber laser engraver and it came with no instructions on how to do that! I see videos with folks using focus sticks but are they that accurate? If so where can I get sime?
Unless you get a high end lab grade lens varies slightly, so a focus stick is something you make or order to size after you have found the focus distance for your lens. I have been meaning to make a video on finding focus, but for now, a real quick way the find the focus is put a piece of of scrap steel or stainless steel on your laser. Draw a square an easily measured size (1” or 30mm) and trace the shape. Adjust the height until the trace measure the same as on your your software. That will be close, enough to start. To increase accuracy, raise the lens another 20mm and use a high power setting and use and offset fill on the square. Check the “Continuous” mark setting and run the mark. Slowly lower the lens. You should see the burn intensity increase until you get to the focal point, and then they will start getting weaker. You will want to go back up until you get the strong sparks again. That will be your focus distance. You can either order a focus stick to size, or Patrick @LSEngraving sells an adjustable one that you can make to the length you need and then glue or bolt it in place. I’ll make it a priority to get a formal video up soon.
great video! will these colors rust or corrode with time? really thinking in buying one after watching your video also is it possible to get results like these with a standard fiber laser?
Thank you. With no surface protection or post laser treatment, I have some samples that have started to corrode, but most have not. I live in a very dry climate, so I’m sure that is helping prevent corrosion. I have intentions of doing more testing of the corrosion resistance and possible solutions. For now, I have seen others use clear coat finishes to protect markings on mild steel. I would imagine the same would work for stainless steel.
Thank you for the feedback. I have a few ideas written down to cover the basics of what each setting does and how it works. Color marking is definitely a more advanced topic.
thank you so much for this video. I have now run countless material tests and I just can't get any color at all. I have a JPT MOPA 60W machine. I ran many of your tests also. Could you maybe help me? also I asked the seller to help me, he sent me test files with frequency ranging from 20 to 80 khz and no Q Pulse changes. Also he said I needed the lens to be 3-4mm off focus which really sounds weird as I thought mopa lasers werent supposed to be off focus to be able to do color engraving. I really hope you can help me out
Thank you. I struggled for a long time before getting to the point of making this video, so I understand your frustration. I know your source can mark colors while in focus with the right settings, because I know other that are doing it. Let’s start with a few questions. First, what material are you marking? Second, what size lens are you using? Third, are you etching into the material, like I was on my first tests, or are you getting any results at all?
@@MakrTheory thanks for your response. I am lasering on stainless steel (I think it should be V2A) Lens is 70x70 I got to the point where I managed to not etch into the material but just leave a white-silverish mark. But when I do a grid test of that setting all the marks weirdly look exactly the same
@@maxgul.x still too much power then. You will have a tough time with that small of a lens. There is a lot of energy in a very small area. I would run low frequency, low power, and low QPulse. If you can, I strongly suggest a 175 or 210 lens.
Great video with a thorough approach. Concerning the out of focus colors: an easy way to a controlled defocus testing is to set the target at a slight angle so that each hatching field has a a slightly different height and a controlled defocus. I have sometimes used this approach with a different laser. Keep up the good work.
You are welcome! You will want to make sure your laser is an adjustable pulse width model. If it is a JPT and has “M1”, “M6”, “M7”, or “M8” in the model number, you will have the ability to control pulse width. There are other laser manufacturers that offer adjustable pulse MOPA laser, but JPT is the most common. To enable the controls, you will need to go to the device settings in LightBurn (the icon with the wrench and screwdriver) and and toggle the enable QPulse switch in the middle of the window.
The grid settings reset every time it is closed. You can save and label them by pressing on the little save icon on the top of the test window. To recall them, you click on the drop down arrow and a list of saved test settings will appear.
@@robertarmstrong2323 as of writing this, the setting in the Material Test is not linked to the active setting of your work space. Looks like you could set your desired library setting as the “Default” and then reset the test setting to default. Being able to select an existing library setting for the test seems like a reasonable feature. I will make a feature request for it with LightBurn and see if they can add it.
