READ ME FIRST: Quick Fixes for Common Problems!

[Alex]

After years of engraving we have been able to fix many of the problems that used to plague us. We have also been able to identify a number of the most common reasons for tech support calls. Below you will find answers to some of those questions. As always you are welcome to call us at 855-218-5260 for any support questions, but before posting or calling, we recommend you read this list first.

Bent/Broken -Autofocus Sensor
The most common mechanical problem is a bent or broken focus tool. While focusing, the rod misses an object, the focus tool may bend and not bounce back to its previous position, or even break off. This can cause a several problems as it affect the laser's ability to engrave with proper focus. The fix is quite simple and has been performed many times over at our P. Graham Dunn stores. Unscrew the focus tool and wrap a small piece of scotch or electrical tape around the focus tool. It is our opinion that this works better than even fixing the spring as it is a more robust tool. We even use it in our own gallery!

Grinding Noise During Focusing/"Error End of Travel" Message
This is usually caused by the Auto-Focus Sensor getting stuck in the up or down position, which results in the tray getting stuck at the top or bottom of the machine and making a grinding noise. Using WD-40 on it will keep it well lubricated and prevent this from happening. If you hear a loud grinding noise, TURN THE MACHINE OFF IMMEDIATELY. Allowing this to continue for an extended period of time can strip the threads on the machine which makes for costly repairs. If the tray is stuck at the top or bottom of the machine: Leave the machine turned off, and try to manually turn one of the rods to move it toward the center. You may need to use a pair of pliers to get better leverage, but if you use pliers, put a cloth between them and the threads to prevent stripping. Once the tray has been moved about a half-inch, you should be able to turn the machine on and boot normally. (If this happens repeatedly, call tech support, as you may have a broken sensor.)

Scanner Not Working
1) Check to see if your CAPS lock key is on. 95% of the time this is the issue.

2) There are some computers which seem to be slow in reading the scanner input the first time. If this is the case, it may drop the first few digits of the number. All you have to do is scan the product 2-3 times until the PC catches up. It just takes a couple seconds longer to open a file.

3) Make sure you are using the right scanner! We only support the specific model used for our application. Others models and brands may not work.

4) Try reconfiguring your scanner with the barcode printouts on the Documentation page. (This is also available on page 53 of the Winter 2009 Scanbook and page 15 of the January 2011 Manual.) Scan the barcodes from top to bottom. If you miss any, start over from the top.


Gray Dotted Outlines-The Text or Images Not Filled In
Check to make sure you have objects laser color set to black (or it's designated color) and are in laser mode. (Opening a different file and then re-opening the file, or restarting the program, may also help.)

Laser Machine Error Codes:
Error: "End of Travel" - Generally a stuck sensor.
Error: "04 Laser Fault" - Turn off for 30 seconds and back on.
Error: "UC Board???" - Wrong port type selected in Gravostyle. To Fix:
In Gravostyle, go to Engrave, then config. machines. Double click the L-Solution 100 icon. Click "Output," then select L-Solution, and click ok. Under communication card settings, make sure USB is selected.
Error: "Laser Over Temp" - Needs to cool down. Call if this message lasts more than 24 hrs.
Error: "Machine???" - Wrong machine connection settings. Call for solution (as it can be either the computer or the laser machine at fault).

"UPGRADE PROGRAM" Message on laser
If you hold the green button while booting the laser, it will display UPGRADE PROGRAM. Just turn off the laser and back on and wait until the second beep before trying to engrave again.

"X" Through Images, Rulers Missing, Arrow Keys Not Working, EPS Import Not Working Correctly, Black Screen
This is occasionally caused by a bug in the GravoStyle software. Be sure only one GravoStyle window is open. Press F10 (or go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Options') and click 'Reset All Parameters'. If you don't see that button, you will need to uninstall the build 4 version you have and install build 5; call tech support to get help starting on that.

[TimG]

My text is in Caps Lock but my Caps Lock is not on!

Some versions of GravoStyle have more features than others. A setting that some files have is called "Small Caps." This forces every letter to be the capital of that letter and the first letter of each word is a bigger size than the rest. The button to toggle this setting is found on the yellow Rapido section but isn't availible for LaserStyle Discovery (the version of software that most of you have). There is a workaround to reset text formatting back normal:

1. In text mode, highlight the text to be reset
2. Switch to the red Rapido section (click "Show/Hide Rapido" in the main text toolbar if you don't see the Rapido. You can only see the "Show/Hide Rapido" if you are in text mode)
http://www.laserengravings.info/forum/user_images/show_hide_rapido.png
3. Make sure the drop down box says "Default"
http://www.laserengravings.info/forum/user_images/red_rapido.png
4. Note current font/text settings that you may want to reapply after the reset (probably font and height), as the next step will reset all of these settings
5. Click "Apply"
6. Make changes as necessary to get the text back the way you want it

The red Rapido is actually just a way to save text/font settings as a "preset" to quickly apply. The "Default" preset is Arial font, 0.3937 in. high, and unselects special options like "Small Caps."

Drag rulers
If the alignment when running or red-lighting a job is significantly off (more than an inch), check your rulers in GravoStyle. The "0,0" point should be in the lower left corner for ALL jobs. If your rulers got moved somehow, click and hold where the rulers intersect (upper left, with a small red arrow) then drag overtop of the piece. X & Y axis lines will appear. Their intersection is "0,0". Drag this down to the lowest left of the screen. If you're up against the edge of the material definition (the black outline that represents the laser bed) you will see a red circle around that intersection. Position that red circle in the lower left corner. This entire process is easier if you are zoomed out.

Non-Black Ink
Many files contain only Black "Laser Ink." These files run everything at only one power & speed setting and don't have any special autofocus considerations. Files that do have these considerations will have other colors of ink. We use red ink for vector lasering, but vectoring is it's own discussion, so we'll just consider green and yellow ink for now.
Green ink is sometimes used to provide a different power & speed setting so that some text/artwork shows up darker/lighter than that of the black ink.
Green ink is mostly used to achieve proper autofocus. The laser makes a decision on where to perform autofocus based on where the black ink is. Files that have artwork that extends off the edge of the product may have that artwork in green (some new pens, and other small items). The primary text/artwork in the center of the piece will be in black. If you like to run samples with the artwork (in green) but without the text (that is, no black), you will likely have autofocus problems. The workaround is manual focusing.

Manual Focusing
Deselect "Autofocus" and "Z up position" in the Marking dialog (deselected means there is a red X on the button). Send the job and wait for the beep. Press any directional (arrow) button on the laser to activate JOYSTICK XY mode. If you need to drop the tray in order to get the focus sensor over the piece, press the Z button and then press and hold the down arrow; press Z again when you're done to go back to X,Y (the other option is to enter JOYSTICK Z by pressing the Z button first, then holding the down arrow to lower the tray, and finally pressing the check-mark button to set the tray height). Put the piece in the tray like normal (using the correct "L" or foam jigs as needed). Turn on the red laser light ("red-eye") and use the directional buttons to position the laser head over the piece. When you have the red light shining where you want it, press the focus button on the laser. The tray will come up, the piece will contact with the sensor, setting the correct Z position. Turn the red laser off if you'd like to engrave the job or leave it on if you'd only like to simulate it. You can now press the green button to run the job.

Yellow Ink
Yellow Ink is used to laser text "in the Negative." That is, instead of turning the laser on where each character is, it turns it off (see ZKMC16, top of page 30 for an example). The yellow ink is surrounded by black. The laser will be on where the black is, but turn off for the yellow. Certain settings must be correct for this to work. Yellow must be set to 0 power, and the same speed as the black ink, typically 50. Also, the "Bitmap" mode needs to be set to automatic (the computer icon) and the slider all the way to the right, showing 100 in the box.

[TimG]

If you receive a message when trying to open GravoStyle that the .Net VM can't be found, follow these instructions:


In Windows 10 the quickest way is to press the Windows key to open the Start Menu an start typing "Turn Windows features on or off". Or, press WIN+R and type optionalfeatures in the Run dialog.
Select ".NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)" and the box will fill black
Click OK, then click the top option to download using Windows Update if necessary