Universal Laser Systems ULS-25, Operation Manual

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SIGN VINYL - 3 MIL
TYPE POWER SPEED PPI PASSES DEPTH
RASTER ENGRAVING 100 75 500 1 .015”
COMMENTS: These parameters are for engraving vinyl on wood. Apply the vinyl to the wood and
squeegee out air bubbles. Mask with transfer tape. Engrave deep enough to go through the tape,
vinyl, and into the wood. Make a second pass to go deeper. Engraving at a slower speed might cause
the vinyl to melt.
TYPE POWER SPEED PPI PASSES DEPTH
VECTOR CUTTING 5 10 250 1 .003”
COMMENTS: Unmasked, cuts through vinyl and not the backing. Thicker vinyl requires more
power and thinner ones require less. Adjust as necessary.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Sign vinyl comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, thickness, finishes, and reflectivity. There are a
few methods for using sign vinyl with the laser system. One method is to vector cut (unmasked) through
the vinyl but not through the backing. This technique provides results equivalent to a vinyl cutter
machine. Once the vinyl has been cut, remove the excess vinyl, apply transfer tape and use a
squeegee to remove trapped air bubbles. The transfer tape can then be lifted off and the vinyl lettering
or objects that were vector cut will stick to the transfer tape and maintain their correct spacing with
respect to each other. Now apply the tape to the desired surface and squeegee, peel off the transfer
tape, and the lettering will remain adhered to the surface. The other method is to apply a piece of vinyl
to the desired surface (unmasked) and adjust the laser power so as to cut through the vinyl without
engraving into the material below. Another popular example of the use of vinyl is to cover the entire
surface of a wooden plaque with vinyl, use a squeegee to remove all air bubbles, and then mask the
entire surface with transfer tape to protect the vinyl from smoke damage due to the wood engraving
involved. In the graphics software, color the background one of the eight driver colors and place white
filled text on top of the colored background. Since the laser system does not engrave white filled
objects, the background will be engraved and the lettering will be untouched. Then peel off the excess
vinyl and transfer tape to reveal the final product. The lettering will be raised and vinyl coated!