Red Light Pointer and Workspace Alignment Guide for Laser Marking Machines

[@Ionthegreat]

Appreciate your time and effort that you put into these. This was huge for me. Could not figure out why I was so off center when doing jobs. You are the absolute goat

[@LaserEverything]

Glad I could help!

[@sarahweeks3778]

You're my favorite human on the internet today.

[@johnmessenger7292]

Alex the value of your videos is un paralleled, thanks so much!

[@LaserEverything]

Thank you John!

[@CS-PROD-i3s]

Alex, I’ve been following you for a while now, and since day one you’ve looked familiar to me. Like I know you from somewhere. I was watching this video and my wife walked by and glanced at the screen and asked me why I was watching laser videos made by Shia LaBeouf?!!!???! Lol! Nailed it! I loved you in Transformers bro! #Witwicky4life

[@LaserEverything]

lololol I get that a lot :'D thanks for watching ^^

[@MrGutoCrepaldi]

Alex, you are a monster, brother! I'm learning so much from your videos. I'm seconds from enrolling myself at LMA! Thank you bro!!!

[@LaserEverything]

Glad to help! Looking forward to seeing you over on the LMA!

[@robbylatham]

Thank you, I just got an EM smart fiber, been following you for a long time finally got a fiber and it was out of calibration from the factory as well.

[@LaserEverything]

Great to hear it helped you out, happy burnin!

[@BenMcNelly]

I needed this, thank you!

[@LaserEverything]

You're so welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@sammygordon9850]

Great video helped me tremendously just got my 20 watt fiber and it was WAY off now it's spot on Thanks so much!!!

[@LaserEverything]

Fantastic! So glad it helped you Sammy!

[@andyfaulkner_GLTS]

great content as always

[@LaserEverything]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@BigHWorks]

At typical, top shelf tutorial. Thanks!

[@LaserEverything]

Glad you liked it!

[@arkadiychernikov]

Excellent as usual Alex!

[@LaserEverything]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@shadowliving6858]

As always straight up helpful. Thanks.

[@LaserEverything]

Thank you!

[@Davidesquivel-iv4pw]

Trying this today

[@LaserEverything]

Let us know how it goes!

[@Davidesquivel-iv4pw]

Worked good got it ​@@LaserEverything

[@lithgowlights859]

Ahh thanks for posting this. I recently noted my red light is out by about 1mm, which is a pest to do some of the smaller items now

[@LaserEverything]

Glad I could help!

[@farshadbagheri]

Fantastic info.

[@LaserEverything]

Glad you think so, thanks for watching!

[@reidjensen569]

Another great video! I was a bit confused and perhaps it’s my lack of understanding terms. When you were saying “red Dot” I thought you were referring to the “ Red Dot“ that was in the center of the card, saying stationary, and it was the red line that you were moving. Could you help me understand the terminology difference between the red dot and a red line. Thank you.

[@jurgenho8351]

Great content !

[@LaserEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@monkeybusiness6384]

Hi Alex, As always, your vids are an awesome tool. Do you do a per call tech support? I'm stumped on 1 thing with my rotary and can't seem to get passed it. If so, how and when can I reach you. Regards George

[@LaserEverything]

I don't personally, far too busy, but you could schedule with my good friend jmac - he's a wiz at rotary. You can book with him over at www.lasereverything.net/coaching

[@northamericancannonllc]

this was great but- i really needed to see how to adjust the red dot focus after replacing the lens. i went from 200 x 200 to 300 x 300 with my 50 watt fiber, and now my red dot is not lined up with ideal laser height for the fiber laser power.

[@paologenoa]

Thank you Alex!

[@LaserEverything]

Thank you for watching!!!

[@kapple5290]

Hi Alex, Thanks for all the super helpful videos! I notice that when I calibrate my red light laser to be perfectly aligned when marking in the center of my board, if I try to mark a box that is to the left or right of center, my red light laser will be off. Like if I mark a box to the left of center, the red light laser will preview slightly to the right of my actual mark. Is this just something I have to live with or is there further calibrations to ensure the red light is previewing as precisely as possible throughout my work area?

[@LaserEverything]

this is always going to be the case. Since the fiber laser and the red laser are starting from different positions they will always end up in different places when you change the field area being utilized. best thing to do is start from a central location to offest whatever differences occur at extremes.

[@kapple5290]

@@LaserEverything Thanks so much for always answering my questions! I appreciate all your help

[@richardtepas4832]

thanks for these super helpfull video's ! if i have 2 or more lenses are these align settings per lense/profile stored? my 110 is spot on, my 210 is off. thanks!

[@LaserEverything]

Each copy of ezcad or device profile on lightburn is going to have individual settings for these values and I'm assuming just based on the optics that each one will probably have to be dialed in to be perfect. I'm sure copy and pasting the values across all lenses will be pretty close, but if you want it to be perfect I'd be looking at each lens closely.

[@wasco035]

Hello mate! Great video...I have learned some useful stuff that I didn't used at all. Although I have a Chinese fiber laser Im actually self learn because the guy that sold it to me was just a salesman. So I had and have some issue's and unknown things that actually no one explained. So I run on to your Chanel and hopefully I could as you some questions. First would be: why my red dot is in the center but redlight outline and laser arent in alignment with red dot? When I put all parameters to 0 red dot is in center and aligned with red outline light....but when I mark it with laser laser is off...then I align red light outline with laser but red dot stays. So is it possible to line all as it should or that's it? Thank you in advance!

[@LaserEverything]

Hey thanks so much for watching, glad you're finding the videos useful. Providing support via KZbin comments is super difficult for more complicated issues but I would say definitely join either the Discord server or Facebook group and you'll get help from me or others super fast. There's links to both in the description!

[@bosujo7toulah]

Hey Alex , i would like to ask after align adjustment are we best not to move the machine to new location ? will it effected offset if we kinda move around the machine . need to set it up again?

[@Hungry86]

Would this be faster if the marked box had distances marked on it. For example, have a 40x40mm box, but have a line ever 1mm or 2mm that's perpendicular to the border? Then you could literally see the adjustment.

[@LaserEverything]

Certainly could help if you have the time to put the file together sure! Would help you diagnose lens distortion issues as well when generating your corfile.

[@feeblevillain7315]

How do you increase the speed of the framing red laser? I feel like mine is very slow

[@charlesrosenbloom4140]

i have this setting setup correctly and aligned. The problem that i have is, when the laser is engraving, there is a a red line that follows the engraving that is about 2mm off alignment. how do i fix this?

[@LaserEverything]

That is your center dot laser moving as the galvo mirrors are scanning along. It doesn't hurt anything but if you'd like it to go away you can head into your F3 Param > Other > Red Light Pointer and uncheck the box that says "Enable Always Show" or head into your LightBurn device settings and uncheck the box that says "Red Laser Always On" and it should turn the pointer off when marking.

[@nams37]

Thank you bro alex. Salam

[@LaserEverything]

Most welcome :)

[@johnzhou5890]

Hi Alex, in 4:37 of this video, you talked offset X offset Y in "Field" to adjust the position of the actual fiber laser marking. Is there a same or similar function in Lightburn? One of our customers wants to move the actual laser marking position by offset X and offset Y, but doesn't want to move the object's position in the workspace. Thank you so much!

[@impressaovisaodeaguia7146]

Hey Alex, can you help me make the red dot appear? The machine does the marking, but I cannot see where it will be marked because the red dot does not appear.

[@LaserEverything]

Use a multimeter to make sure the red dot pointer is getting voltage. If the red dot isn't getting voltage, you could have a problem with the power supply. If the red dot is getting voltage, the red dot could be burnt out. Make sure your red dot is configured correctly on the ports page. It's typically port 4 but you may have to check with your manufacturer.

[@aishamysticjeweler5544]

Greetings, how do I make the red point dot always in the center ?

[@LaserEverything]

In ezcad on the Field tab the section is labeled "Go to pos. after Mark" to which you can select a corner, center, or custom position.

[@aishamysticjeweler5544]

@@LaserEverything thanks for answering but in my ezcad2 I can't find this option, is it in settings or param?

[@LaserEverything]

F3 Param, first page. If you can't find it join either the Facebook group or discord server linked in the description and post some screenshots so we can have a look.

[@aishamysticjeweler5544]

@@LaserEverything ok I found it and in After Mark Goto it is selected in Galvo Center but the red dot is not centered, I ask in that same tap Field under Galvo1 and Galvo 2 and the Scale what values ​​should it have?

[@aishamysticjeweler5544]

Thank you I managed to do everything right thanks to your video and explanation

[@paulriley5940]

I have a problem with my red dot not in the center of the work space how do you adjust that?

[@LaserEverything]

We can't really get into it in the KZbin comments as it's not the best place for more intensive support threads but we do have a few options where you can get help. Either check out Discord Server or Facebook group - links in the description - or you can check out our new forum over at www.lasereverything.net/forum and I'm sure we can get you pointed in the right direction.

[@plwilke3299]

Let me first say, all your videos are very helpful and clear, but I'm having issues with the red dot laser. I have a 50w split fiber laser and I'm confused as to why I have 2 red dots. I can merge the 2 red dots with adjusting the focus, however when testing the focal length, the 2 dots separate. Also when I create a rectangle for testing my focal length the red dots are outside the rectangle. Can you point me to a video that will help me with this issue. Thank you

[@LaserEverything]

There's a few things that I think are important to distinguish between here, and it can be really easy to confuse due to them being functionally the same red beam but with a different use case. The red light pointer we refer to in this video is specifically for outlining/framing your work, and will always come from the lens itself as a projected light. The 2 dots that come down from the laser head outside the lens (or sometimes 1, or even 3 or more, it varies based on laser and manufacturer setup, but the key is the ones OUTSIDE the lens) are specifically and solely for focal height tuning and not framing. Sometimes these can be used in combination, so 1 angled red light may be set to the right focal height for a lens, utilizing the central dot coming from the lens as the meeting point to signify focus. The reason they don't align and move away when moving the laser up/down, is because they come down at an angle and are intended to touch when in focus. The problem is, if they are bumped, or you change lenses, it will no longer apply or be accurate to your focal height needed potentially (its why we use focal sticks instead, sized for each lens). The red dot method works mostly, but only when they aren't bumped out of place, or you dont change lenses. I hope that helps cover the blanks between this video and our other content.

[@TTIEngraver]

I have a question.. I set the red light to a square to be perfect. then right next to the square I engrave our logo. the engraving shifts over 1/16 right of the red light. if I engrave the square, the two line up perfect. so what is causing the artwork to not align?

[@john90304]

Hello I can not see the red laser any idea what can it be?

[@EngravingCraftMaster]

hello my fibber optic laser red point is not pointing anymore its stopped working or showing my my marking area please help

[@LaserEverything]

Check your Ports page of your F3 Param or Device settings in lightburn and make sure your port for your red light is set correctly. Alternatively you can try the "Red Dot Always On" switch.

[@mototrini]

Hey Alex, my issue is the pointer is aligned with the laser at the center of the work space but once it's towards the perimeter, it is out of line. If I adjust the offset for the +y axis to get it in line it's then doubled out of line in the -y. Using ezcad2 and a Chinese galvo laser. I had previously adjusted the scale for laser line distortion at the perimeters and the red dot was fine AFAIK Edit: nevermind, when I adjusted the red dot using the big square I got it lined up

[@LaserEverything]

Sorry it took me too long to get to this but I'm glad you were able to get it resolved Moto!

[@mototrini]

@Laser Everything no worries man, thanks to you I was able to figure it out. Keep up the great work!

[@earleallen3799]

Sorry another question..is there a video on how i shouod be aligning the head when i attach it? Went to put some jigs on the base plate and nothing was even close so i couod do things over and over ;)

[@LaserEverything]

We have a video helping with aligning engraving plane of your head's output with the work area, but I think you mean shifting the actual laser left/right and forward/back physically on the workbed in regards to its relative position with the holes? That we haven't covered since it's going to be different based on style of laser tower and style of mount with the laser path, but typically you can loosen the screws under the laser path that hold it to the tower and slide everything back/forward and a little left/right to get it a bit more convenient. I will usually do this with a square shape framing on the laser so I can try and get it as squared to the bed as reasonably possible for those repeatability purposes.

[@MortgageEasy]

Alex, thanks for all the help by the way of your videos. I calibrated my redlight box however, the red dot is still not centered when not previewing work. Is this normal or acceptable after all the actual lasered piece is lined up?

[@LaserEverything]

The red dot has a rest position set on the first page of your F3 param called "go to pos. after mark", just set that to "center" and it should fix your problem.

[@MortgageEasy]

@@LaserEverything the weird thing is that it’s in the center setting and still doesn’t center.

[@LaserEverything]

Weird, I would join the Facebook group or discord server so we can take a closer look

[@charlesferrucci9218]

when i make my box larger the red dot doesnt line up

[@LaserEverything]

The larger the field size and the larger an area you project over the more obvious discrepancies between the marked laser and the targeting laser will be. Physically repositioning external red dots in the laser path is the only way to remedy this but you can easily make things worse rather than better if you don't move slowly and deliberately while doing so. Only the combined red dots integrated into the higher end JPT sources do not have this problem.

[@cwkhonda]

I have a question. I've put a square in the center of my screen and turned on red light. I had to move x -.20 mm and y .30mm and it looks good. If I move the square on the screen an inch right or left. The engraving will not match the red light anymore.. anyone know why? The scale is 1.0 x 1.0

[@rfresh1011]

Hey Alex...I set upmy red light workspace alignment. However, with the left, right and top aligned perfectly, the red line on the bottom is about 1mm high. Can that be adjusted? Thank you.

[@LaserEverything]

What you have to do is lower the entire box so that the top and bottom of the box are in the middle of the marked box, then raise the scale so they both move outwards to the marked line. Scale ALWAYS moves together on opposite ends so if your y-scale goes up, the top and bottom will move out in opposite directions. Position accordingly and then increase your scale ever so slightly. Hope that makes sense.

[@rfresh1011]

@@LaserEverything It turned out I needed to adjust the Galvo #1 which scales the Y axis. Galvo #2 scales the X axis. So I got it now. Thanks for the quick reply!

[@LaserEverything]

Ah I see now good, glad you got it sorted out!

[@Azharlaser]

Where to get new red dot lights for sg7110 as my machine's both pointer got damaged

[@LaserEverything]

any wired 5v red dot pointer with similar physical dimensions should work, just check amazon.

[@Azharlaser]

@@LaserEverything thank you Mr. Alex Love your channel India

[@rosmanczyk]

when adjusting scale and offset and marking in the dead center its all good, but whenever I mark something in the upper or lower corners I have a big misalignment for some reason..don't understand why this is happening...

[@LaserEverything]

If you haven't, running a corfile correction may help resolve that inconsistency, be sure to save the corfile and apply it to your device settings for that machine. After that, try tuning the red light once more. Be sure too, that your work area in software isn't exceeding the work area the lens is designed for. For example, an F420 is a 300x300 rated work area lens, so if you go far beyond that, your results will skew worse and worse, or can cause the beam to hit the edge of the inlet aperture of the lens.

[@LAH92]

Anyone else have the issue where the start of the red dot is in alignment but longer the text go the red dot does not line up at all, mine is approx 3mm out towards the right on the text alignment. I hope this makes sense

[@earleallen3799]

The only video i saw in regards to lens correction was about ezcad and then importing into LB...was there a video for those that are only using LB? Sorry for being a noob

[@LaserEverything]

Sure is! Just released the video last week, Lightburn JUST added a utility for this in version 1.5: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXOYdpqOhpaSa7s

[@earleallen3799]

@@LaserEverything awesome thank you

[@brisko9963]

Hi there l am using ezcad 2 and when l light trying to see if its in position there is 2 square lights that comes the other one you can see nicely and the other is like blurry çan you help please

[@LaserEverything]

This might be a few things, but typically when we see a 2nd light that seems to be a duplicate reflection, this isn't something we've found a resolution for. It may be a position issue with the red light, or may be a duplicate reflection caused by the red light housing or similar physical considerations. Not typically a single "for sure" resolution I'm afraid. In some laser configurations it may also be unavoidable or at least more "common and expected" for various reasons (again, on specific laser configurations). If its a recent development that suddenly changed, join the discord or other communities and the support community can try and help offer some additional tips for troubleshooting.

[@lexispapi]

I have a 50w 300mm fiber laser and if I put in let’s say a 54mm circle when I hit go it lasers my circle to 52mm. My red dot is also off it frames me smaller than what’s in light burn. Through trial and error I’ve had to increase it 2mm or so, so that it’s true to size. What could be the cause of this problem?

[@LaserEverything]

The scale in software vs what you are seeing coming out at the laser (ultimately in your case being 4% off in scale) can be corrected through doing a corfile correction (it’s in the lightburn for galvo crash course) and importing it into lightburn, or manually doing a scale adjustment, bulge,skew correction, etc. directly in the device settings in lightburn for manual correction without a cor file. The scale of your field output (mark a square and measure it) is best to make sure is accurate first, and then when that’s correct, mark again without moving your test piece and ensure your red outline lines up. If it doesn’t, then you can adjust the red light on red light area right next to the field area.

[@lexispapi]

@@LaserEverything thank you. I remember seeing that video but can’t find it. Can you link me to it? Also I signed up for lma and was lookin and doin the paid membership but I no longer see them. The site isn’t really to user friendly I’m sorry. Thanks for all your help.

[@LaserEverything]

Here's the playlist+video for corfile, we also cover swapping between ezcad/lightburn earlier in that playlist if needed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/op3JnXScZaxpaLM For the LMA, you can update your plan selection if you click on the profile circle at the top right and go into the profile options, or if you enter into a category that requires upgrading your plan, it will offer you a side scroll list of the plan options that work for that category to get you access (they are sometimes out of order, but should pop up that way too). Thank you for joining the community, and hope that helps!

[@anthonyalcala3793]

Why sir my laser red light pointer is not showing ?

[@LaserEverything]

Some lasers have a dedicated switch to turn on the red light, so you may need to locate a physical switch that is turned off. Some lasers have the red light integrated into the source (Many JPT models do), and then there are beam combined red dot lasers that go into an adapter in the path before the laser head. If it is on but not lighting, you may need to replace the red dot pointer in the mount, it is an item with a lifespan and only costs about 1-3 dollars each. Also, be sure the lens cover is removed.

[@toddysneddon2835]

Downside of this is lightburn isnt out yet lol

[@LaserEverything]

Process is identical in ezcad and there's clips of where all the menus are. Only one or two extra clicks, don't have to wait for lightburn for any reason to follow this guide!

[@osesoutonnoma7575]

Hi how are you can I Ask for help with m’y fiber laser

[@LaserEverything]

The Laser Master Academy, our Discord, and Facebook group is linked in the description

[@HaydnHamilton]

LIGHTBURN FOr FIBER...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! just keep saying it may happen one day

[@LaserEverything]

But it's going to... Like this month?