Recommended software for color engraving: LightBurn (LaserGRBL does not support layering, only one color can be engraved at a time)
¶ The Principle of Laser Metal Color Carving:
The working principle of laser metal color carving involves the use of a laser beam to instantaneously heat the metal surface, triggering various physicochemical reactions. By controlling parameters such as laser power, engraving speed, engraving interval, and engraving repetitions, the degree of the metal surface reaction can be controlled, thereby controlling the color of the pattern. At the same time, colored oxides are formed on the metal surface, or a colorless transparent oxide film is generated, which displays various colors due to the thin film interference effect of light. The oxidation products of the metal elements themselves will also present color.
¶ Which material is more suitable for color carving?
For the 455nm wavelength blue semiconductor laser, stainless steel or titanium plates are typically chosen as the metal color carving materials. Among them, titanium plates are relatively expensive, but they offer a rich range of colors and smoother color transitions within the same engraving parameters. On the other hand, stainless steel plates are more common, have good corrosion resistance and are relatively inexpensive. They can also present a rich range of colors under different parameter settings.
¶ Why do the same settings produce different colors?
Due to the varying oxidation levels on the surface of each metal material, and slight differences in the power of the laser module and user focusing, the manifestation of color is quite sensitive to these variations. It is recommended to conduct tests using the actual machine and materials.
¶ How to test the parameters corresponding to different colors on a specific material?
The Material Test in LightBurn greatly simplifies the preparation of test files. You only need to enter the parameter range in the Material Test Generator to generate test files. The parameters mentioned here mainly include four: Power, Speed, Interval, and Passes. These four parameters will collectively influence the color presented after engraving. By setting an appropriate parameter range according to the size of the material, the engraving test file can be generated.
¶ How to carve colorful works?
Import the sliced image files into LightBurn, then based on the results of the previous test, set the parameters for different image layers with corresponding colors.
