G-code is a programming language that the machine understands and is a series of commands that tells the machine what actions to perform - where to move, what speed to use, what temperatures to set, and much more. Before you start laser engraving, you need to generate the G-code file from the image you want to engrave.

1) Download Snapmakerjs at https://snapmaker.com/download

2) Connect the computer to the machine using the provided USB Cable.

3) In  (Workspace) > Connection, click , select the Port connected to the machine and click Open.

Note: If you cannot find any port to connect to and your computer uses the latest Mac OS Sierra, please download and install the driver at snapmaker.com/download

4) In the left column, click (Laser G-code Generator).

5) Select the effect you want, B&W, GREYSCALE or VECTOR.

B&W: The engraved picture will be in black and white without any grey color.

Greyscale: The engraved picture will be in different shades of grey depending on its original color.

Vector: This effect is used for engraving vector graphics. The engraved picture will be in black and white without any grey color.

6) Click Upload Image and select the image you want to engrave.

7) Configure the settings and click Preview to see what you will get.

If you select the B&W effect, configure the parameters according to the following explanations:

A. B&W: Set the proportion of the black color based on the original color of the image. The bigger this value is, the bigger the proportion of the black color will be.

B. Size: Enter the size of the engraved picture. The size cannot be larger than 125 x 125 mm nor the size of your material.

C. Line Direction: Determines in which direction the Laser Engraving Module moves, Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal, or Diagonal2. It saves time if you choose the right direction for your image.

D. Density: Determines how fine and smooth the engraved picture will be. The bigger this value is, the better quality you will get. The range is 1-10 pixel/mm and 10 is recommended.

E. Alignment: Determines whether the center of the image will be aligned to the work origin or not.

If you select the GREYSCALE effect, configure the parameters according to the following explanations:

A. Size: Enter the size of the engraved picture. The size cannot be larger than 125 x 125 mm nor the size of your material.

B. Contrast: The difference between the lightest color and the darkest color. The contrast is more obvious when this value is bigger.

C. Brightness: The engraved picture is brighter when this value is bigger.

D. White Clip: Set the threshold to turn the color that is not pure white into pure white. 0 means pure black and 255 means pure white and each of the colors in between is assigned a specific number. If White Clip is set to 88, colors whose number is larger than 88 will be turned into pure white (255).

E. Algorithm: Determines how the dots are engraved on the material. See the effect of different Algorithms:

Atkinson:

Burks:

FloyedSteinburg:

JarvisJudiceNinke:

Sierra2:

Sierra3:

SierraLite:

Stucki:

F. Density: Determines how fine and smooth the engraved picture will be. The bigger this value is, the better quality you will get. The range is 1-10 pixel/mm and 10 is recommended.

G. Alignment:
Determines whether the center of the image will be aligned to the work origin or not.

If you select the VECTOR effect, configure the parameters according to the following explanations:

A. Source Type: Select the type of the image. Raster supports PNG and JPEG images, while SVG only supports SVG images. The Raster images will be transferred into SVG automatically.

B. B&W (for Raster): Set the proportion of the black color based on the original color of the image. The bigger this value is, the bigger the proportion of the black color will be.

C. Impurity Size (for Raster): Determines the minimum size of the color lumps which can be showed. Color lumps that are smaller than this size will be turned into the opposite color. Set a higher Impurity size could simplify the picture, and most of the impurities will be eliminated.

D. Invert (for Raster): Inverts black to white and vise versa.

E. Size: Enter the size of the engraved picture. The size cannot be larger than 125 x 125 mm nor the size of your material.

F. Alignment:
Determines whether the center of the image will be aligned to the work origin or not.

G. Optimize Path: Optimizes the path based on the proximity of the lines in the image.

8) Set the Jog Speed and Work Speed, and then click Generate G-code.

A.Work Speed: Determines how fast the machine moves when it’s engraving.

B.Jog Speed: Determines how fast the machine moves when it’s not engraving.

9) Follow the next instruction to set the work origin and find the focus.

Set the Work Origin and Find the Focus Using Snapmakerjs

This step ensures that the machine is laser engraving on the area you want. Wear the Laser Safety Glasses before you begin.

1) Make sure you have generated the G-code following Generate G-code Using Snapmakerjs. Make sure your computer is connected to the machine using the provided USB cable.

2) Click Load and the G-code is loaded to Workspace.

Or in  (Workspace), you can click Upload G-code.

3) In the Laser section (bottom-left corner of the software), click Focus and the laser is ON using a very low power. You can see the laser dot on the platform/material.

4) In the Axes section, use X-/X+/Y-/Y+ to move the laser dot to where the work origin will be. The work origin corresponds to the (0, 0) coordinate in the software.

Note: Use the 10/1/0.1/0.05 buttons to set how far the head goes every time you click X-/X+/Y-/Y+/Z-/Z+. The smaller value helps you set the distance more precisely. If you select 0.1, the head moves to the left for 0.1 mm when you click X-. 

5) Use Z-/Z+ and the provided Calibration Card to adjust the distance between the laser engraving head and the surface of the material until the laser dot is smaller than the black dot on the Calibration Card. Click Set Origin.

6) Click Run Boundary to see the boundary of the engraved image. If part of the boundary runs beyond the material, follow step 4 to set the work origin again.

7) If you are using the 1600mW Laser Cutting Module, you can use the Fine Tune Work Origin feature to achieve the best cutting result. Click the exclamation mark to see the instructions.

8) Follow the next instruction to start laser engraving.

Set the Laser Power and Choose a Way to Engrave

After the G-code is generated and the work origin is set, follow the steps below to set the laser power and choose a way to laser engrave. Wear the Laser Safety Glasses before you begin.

1) In the Laser section, set the Power you need,click Set and then Save. 70% is recommended for the first engraving.

2) Choose a way to start engraving:

Option 1: Using the Computer (The computer must be connected to the machine throughout the process.)

A. Click  to start engraving.

Option 2: Using the USB Disk (No need to connect your computer to the machine.)

A. In  (Laser G-code Generator), click Export and save the G-code.

B. Copy the G-code into the provided USB Disk.

C. In  (Workspace) > Connection, click Close and unplug the USB Cable between the computer and the machine.

D. Insert the USB Disk into the Controller.

E. On the Touch Screen, go to Files, find and select the G-code (.nc) file. Then tap Start to start engraving.