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§8.4, Pen up and pen down positions, continued
The pen-up and pen-down heights may each be adjusted between 0 and 100% to suit
your needs. Higher percentage values lift the pen higher.
The factory-default values of 40% and 60% are a good starting point. Try also adjusting
them to a different set of values (say, 30% and 70%) and apply, to see that the positions
change when you adjust them. The pen holder should visibly move up and down as you
raise and lower the pen holder.
Pen up gap:
1/8 - 1/4 inch
(3-6 mm)
above paper
While in the pen-up position, insert your pen and position it above your paper.
The vertical position of your pen should be approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3 - 6 mm)
above the surface of the paper. You can physically adjust the position of the pen with the
thumbscrew, and/or change the positions from the Setup tab of AxiDraw Control.
Toggle also to the pen-down position. With the pen down, the pen should rest on the
paper by its weight. If it does not, you may need to lower the pen-down position. (While
testing, you can protect the paper that you will be writing upon with another sheet of
paper, to avoid writing on your actual workpiece.)
Finally, return the pen holder to the pen-up position to position your paper for printing.
Once you are familiar with the process of inserting the pen and setting the height, this
process can be reduced in practice to two steps:
1) Raise the pen holder to the pen-up position (if it is not already there).
2) Insert your pen.
