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Step 6Frequency Settings
When cutting material with vector, there is an additional setting beyond the power and speed. The frequency setting controls how many laser pulses are applied to the piece you're cutting, every inch.
When the laser cutter is working, it doesn't leave the laser on for the duration of the cut. In raster mode, it acts similar to an inkjet printer, and prints thousands and thousands of dots per inch (dpi). Depending on how dark the area you want etched is, the more dpi will be applied.
Vector however goes in a straight line, that will etch much like a knife will cut. To accomplish this, you use slower speeds at equivalent or higher powers then you would in Raster, and turn the laser on and off a bunch of times every second, to the point that your eyes can't tell it's even doing it.
The frequency can be set between 10 and 5000 pulses per inch (ppi). Since these pulses are traveling along the same line as the laser (it is the laser), they end up creating the impression of a straight cut in which the laser is on for the entire duration.
There are some reasons to change the ppi though. The higher the ppi is set, the hotter the material gets. So if you're working with wood or something else flammable/burnable, you may want to lower the ppi. This is also useful for lessening the charred/burnt look on what you're cutting (like wood).
If you're cutting acrylic, and you want sharp corners, a low ppi may be useful for you. But if you want to have nice rounded corners, and a smooth edge, a higher ppi will help achieve that look, by melting the edge of the acrylic where the laser is cutting.
Test out a few different settings on a practice piece to get a feel of how exactly the look changes your material.
When the laser cutter is working, it doesn't leave the laser on for the duration of the cut. In raster mode, it acts similar to an inkjet printer, and prints thousands and thousands of dots per inch (dpi). Depending on how dark the area you want etched is, the more dpi will be applied.
Vector however goes in a straight line, that will etch much like a knife will cut. To accomplish this, you use slower speeds at equivalent or higher powers then you would in Raster, and turn the laser on and off a bunch of times every second, to the point that your eyes can't tell it's even doing it.
The frequency can be set between 10 and 5000 pulses per inch (ppi). Since these pulses are traveling along the same line as the laser (it is the laser), they end up creating the impression of a straight cut in which the laser is on for the entire duration.
There are some reasons to change the ppi though. The higher the ppi is set, the hotter the material gets. So if you're working with wood or something else flammable/burnable, you may want to lower the ppi. This is also useful for lessening the charred/burnt look on what you're cutting (like wood).
If you're cutting acrylic, and you want sharp corners, a low ppi may be useful for you. But if you want to have nice rounded corners, and a smooth edge, a higher ppi will help achieve that look, by melting the edge of the acrylic where the laser is cutting.
Test out a few different settings on a practice piece to get a feel of how exactly the look changes your material.
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