✨ SCULPFUN G20 Color Engraving Guide
It is commonly used on metal materials such as stainless steel and titanium alloys. By adjusting laser parameters including frequency, power, and speed, various colors can be achieved on the metal surface.
The color engraving effect can be affected by various factors.
From a physical perspective, the color engraving result may vary depending on factors such as the processing material, processing environment, and different batches of the same type of material.
From the parameter perspective, the color engraving effect is related to engraving speed, power, frequency, focal length, and line spacing.
Before performing the final engraving, it is necessary to conduct material and parameter tests to determine the optimal settings for achieving the desired colors and engraving results.
Note: Whenever possible, use materials from the same batch for both testing and engraving to ensure more consistent results.
Preparation Before Engraving:
1. Make sure the machine is placed on a stable and level work surface.
2. Material: Here we use stainless steel as engraving material.
3. Make sure the metal surface is clean before engraving.
Connect the machine to the SGD Laser software, then click ‘New’ to create a new canvas.
Click ‘Paint’ to draw a 4x4 mm rectangle. Click the ‘Center’ icon to move it to the center of the canvas, then tick ‘Fill’.
For this test, frequency and line spacing are kept constant, while speed, power, and focal length are adjusted as variables. Users can also customize the test parameters based on their needs to explore different engraving effects.
Select the rectangle and set the frequency to a fixed value. In this example, the frequency is set to 30 kHz.
Select the rectangle, click 'Advanced Settings' in the top-left menu bar, then open 'Material Test Array'.
Adjust the test parameters. The speed range is typically set between 50–600 mm/s, and the power range is typically set between 0–100%.
In this test, a 10 × 10 array is used. Set both ‘Number of Columns’ and ‘Number of Lines’ to 10.
The parameter settings for this test are as follows:
After completing the parameter settings, click “OK” to generate the material test array, as shown above.
Place material. In the bottom-right corner of the software, check ‘Turn on focus light’to enable the focus light for focusing.
Press the Focus Button on the machine to adjust the height of the laser module until the two red dots overlap; the focusing is now complete.
For easier measurement and recording, you can directly measure the distance from the material surface to the laser indicator light.
With the same processing parameters, changing the focal length can produce different color effects.
During the focusing process, adjust the height of the laser module until the two red dots overlap, which indicates the optimal focal length. However, for color engraving, it can slightly be deviated from the optimal focal distance. Different focal distances will result in different color effects.
Users can test different focal distances to find the focal length that works best for your material.
This technique is known as “Out-of-Focus” in fiber laser color engraving.
Set the out-of-focus distance. Open menu bar, select “Device Information”, and make sure the Z‑axis switch is enabled.
Return to the canvas and set the Z-axis lift distance in the bottom-right corner of the interface.
The out-of-focus range is typically within ±5 mm of the focal distance. It is recommended to test at intervals of 0.5–1 mm.
In this example, a 4 mm out-of-focus distance is used for testing.
Select the Test Array and click “Preview” to confirm position. Click “Mark” to start engraving.
Below are the color engraving results. If a suitable result is achieved, save the test file.
Note:
After processing, it is recommended to apply protective oil, such as WD-40, to the test material. This can make the colors appear more vivid and visible, and also help prevent the engraved colors from darkening.
Modify the parameters and continue testing. You can adjust one or more parameters, including speed, power, frequency, focal length, and line spacing, until the desired color effect is achieved.
The following shows the test results with different parameter settings.
Variable Parameters: Modify the parameters directly in the Material Test Array.
Fill Settings: Set the line spacing.
After completing the tests, proceed with color engraving.
Color Engraving Settings
Open menu bar → click 'Advanced Settings' → select 'Color Carving' → open 'Color Layering Tool'.
Click ‘Select Original Image’ to import the color engraving image. The software will automatically separate the image into different layers.
In the image below, the left side shows the original image, and the right side shows the layered image ready for parameter settings.
Click “Select Material Matrix File” and import the previously saved test file.
Click on a grid cell to edit the reference color and match it with the corresponding color on the actual engraved sample.
After editing, click 'Confirm' to finish the color editing process. Click 'OK' to finish importing the parameter file.
Click the corresponding layer and set the layer parameters.
Select a layer and click “Select Layer Color”. The “Select Layer Process” window will appear. Select the grid with the corresponding color. In this example, green is selected for demonstration purposes. In actual engraving, select the grid based on the desired color effect.
Close the window. The image on the right will display the colors corresponding to the selected grids.
Continue editing the layers and complete the parameter settings for all layers.
After completing the settings, click “Generate Color Relief File” to generate the color engraving file. The generated file will be displayed on the canvas.
Place the material. Set the distance between the laser and the material according to the focal distance used in the test file.
Adjust the size and position of the image, then click “Preview” to confirm the engraving position.
Click “Mark” to start the engraving process and complete the color engraving. The image below shows the final color engraving result.
Final Result
Stunning color engraving on stainless steel with Sculpfun G20.
Important Notes
- This tutorial specifically explains how to perform color engraving on stainless steel using the G20 Fiber Laser Engraver.
- Even with identical parameter settings, color results may vary due to differences in materials, environmental humidity, temperature fluctuations, and other factors.
