Step2: Open ImagR in a browser and upload your image.
Step3: Crop and Resize and DPI
Step4: Add Text ?
Step5: Choose Your Material - The "Material Button"
Step6: Download processed file.
Step7: Import Image To XCS
Step8: Add Text, Engraving Settings, Engrave
Step9: Admire Your Creation
Design Files
We are planting a lime tree to remember our great dog Niki who passed away last month. She will never be forgotten, but I wanted to make a plaque to put near the tree to memorialize her. With some help from ImagR, the image of Niki came out amazing! Easy to use and the D1 Pro did a great job.
p.s. the humor of planting a lime tree, which we really wanted, was that our dog would ANYTHING, but she would not eat limes. I noted that on the plaque.
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Step 1: Find a good picture to start with.
Locate your picture or image to be turned into an enrgaving
Step 2: Open ImagR in a browser and upload your image.
I use the free version of ImagR that is an online version. I may get the offline if I continue to use beyond this project.
Use the upload button to import your image.
Step 3: Crop and Resize and DPI
Crop the image to what you want. All up to you.
For sizing, they recommend making it the exact size you want it for your final project. Mine was 200 x 200 mm.
You need to change the DPI that defaults (at least mine did) to 72. Since the D1 Pro is .08 laser width, the recommended DPI is 318, so I changed to that.
Once this size is set, they recommend not changing the size when it is imported to XCS as it can screw up what the algorithm you used in ImagR.
Step 4: Add Text ?
At this point you can add text with the image but I decided to do that once the image was imported to XCS. Your choice.
Step 5: Choose Your Material - The "Material Button"
From research I had done, I chose the Norton Black Slate algorithm to process the image. ImagR is cool as it shows you the original and the newly changed image. Because I was engraving on black slate, the image was reversed (do not use the “Invert” menu button for this, using the Norton Black Slate algorithim does that for you).
You can also use the “Advanced” menu to change things like sharpness, brightness, contrast, etc. Since this was my first time and I was testing, I did not change any of these to see what would happen. The end result showed that I did not need to change any of these, but I suppose that other images will need this fine tuning. Worth checking out the YT vids on ImagR and how to use these Advanced settings.
Step 6: Download processed file.
Hit the Download button to put the image where you need to so you can import into XCS. After trying PDF, PNG and JPG, I noted that the PNG was the only one I imported into XCS and it retained the wanted 200mmx200mm size.
Step 7: Import Image To XCS
Get the image into XCS.
Once I did that I did edit the image. I removed the background using the magic wand and touched up a couple areas around the image to clean it up.
Step 8: Add Text, Engraving Settings, Engrave
Setting 1
Process Method
Bitmap Laser Engrave
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
75
Speed(mm/s)
80
Lines per cm
100
Pass
1
Bitmap mode
Grayscale
I added the text shown on the picture included with this How-To. It is easy to do with XCS.
For the engraving I used the following settings:
Material: Stone Coaster
Power: 75
Speed: 80
Lines Per Centimeter: 100
Passes: 1
Bitmap Mode: Grayscale
As always, make sure you set the laser focus distance (I say that since it is my most common mistake, even with the 4 signs I have on my D1 reminding me to do that!!).
Frame up the image on your slate and engrave away.
Step 9: Admire Your Creation
It came out great. To be open, I did try this several times with different settings in both ImagR and XCS. I think that is always a requirement unless you are just processing the same thing over and over. I will use this exact method if I want to engrave images onto other slate for cheeseboards, coasters, etc…
When my wife saw the final plaque she cried. We sure miss our Niki. She was the best dog in the world!
Make Projects. Laser Away. Have Fun!
Design Files
Engrave-SLATE-NortonSlate312DPI-NIKI.xcs
memorial plaque, slate, engraving, XCS, ImagR, Nor
Locate your picture or image to be turned into an enrgaving
I use the free version of ImagR that is an online version. I may get the offline if I continue to use beyond this project.
Use the upload button to import your image.
Crop the image to what you want. All up to you.
For sizing, they recommend making it the exact size you want it for your final project. Mine was 200 x 200 mm.
You need to change the DPI that defaults (at least mine did) to 72. Since the D1 Pro is .08 laser width, the recommended DPI is 318, so I changed to that.
Once this size is set, they recommend not changing the size when it is imported to XCS as it can screw up what the algorithm you used in ImagR.
At this point you can add text with the image but I decided to do that once the image was imported to XCS. Your choice.
From research I had done, I chose the Norton Black Slate algorithm to process the image. ImagR is cool as it shows you the original and the newly changed image. Because I was engraving on black slate, the image was reversed (do not use the “Invert” menu button for this, using the Norton Black Slate algorithim does that for you).
You can also use the “Advanced” menu to change things like sharpness, brightness, contrast, etc. Since this was my first time and I was testing, I did not change any of these to see what would happen. The end result showed that I did not need to change any of these, but I suppose that other images will need this fine tuning. Worth checking out the YT vids on ImagR and how to use these Advanced settings.
Hit the Download button to put the image where you need to so you can import into XCS. After trying PDF, PNG and JPG, I noted that the PNG was the only one I imported into XCS and it retained the wanted 200mmx200mm size.
Get the image into XCS.
Once I did that I did edit the image. I removed the background using the magic wand and touched up a couple areas around the image to clean it up.
I added the text shown on the picture included with this How-To. It is easy to do with XCS.
For the engraving I used the following settings:
Material: Stone Coaster
Power: 75
Speed: 80
Lines Per Centimeter: 100
Passes: 1
Bitmap Mode: Grayscale
As always, make sure you set the laser focus distance (I say that since it is my most common mistake, even with the 4 signs I have on my D1 reminding me to do that!!).
Frame up the image on your slate and engrave away.
It came out great. To be open, I did try this several times with different settings in both ImagR and XCS. I think that is always a requirement unless you are just processing the same thing over and over. I will use this exact method if I want to engrave images onto other slate for cheeseboards, coasters, etc…
When my wife saw the final plaque she cried. We sure miss our Niki. She was the best dog in the world!
Make Projects. Laser Away. Have Fun!