Section 13: Printing From Autocad; How To Print From Autocad To The Laser - Epilog Fusion M2 32 Manual

SECTION 13: PRINTING FROM AUTOCAD

How to Print from AutoCAD to
the Laser
AutoCAD is a very powerful software tool that is often used
in conjunction with the laser for cutting applications. Like
any tool, understanding how it works and its limitations
are helpful in getting the most out of it. Below are general
instructions for printing from AutoCAD. AutoCAD versions
14 to the present are mostly compatible with Epilog
systems. Each version of AutoCAD uses slightly different
printing conventions that may or may not affect the way
you print from AutoCAD and each different version may
produce different output from the laser.
Printing/Plotting
Sending jobs from AutoCAD is heavily dependent on the
print settings in the AutoCAD Print/Plot window. Since
there are so many different settings that AutoCAD requires,
it is important that you double-check all of the settings
that are critical to success. Previewing your image before
sending it to the laser is very helpful in preventing print
problems.
AutoCAD is capable of producing extremely complicated
drawings with many layers, colors, etc. Since there is no
limit to the level of complexity that an AutoCAD drawing
can achieve, users should keep in mind that the laser
is a 2D cutting machine that usually cuts a single piece
of material in any given job. While your laser system is
capable of handling complex drawings, users may find that
eliminating extraneous detail before "Printing/Plotting"
may make their laser equipment more productive.
Color Mapping
Creating objects of different colors in AutoCAD allows
the user to take advantage of the Vector Color Mapping
capabilities of the Epilog Dashboard print driver. Color
mapping assigns different Speed and Power settings to
an object based on its color allowing you to both cut and
mark in a single setup. For a detailed description of how

How to Print from AutoCAD to the Laser

Color Mapping works, refer to "Color Mapping" on page
97.
Model Space, Paper Space, and
Precise Location
AutoCAD was designed to print to paper plotters and some
of the assumptions (especially Scaling and Margins) that
AutoCAD makes when printing can cause frustration for
laser users that are used to being able to send a job to
the laser and have its precise location be very predictable.
Printing from either Paper Space or Model Space will
work. Be aware that the scaling and margin assumptions
made by AutoCAD can affect both the size and location of
the work.
Helpful Hints
When printing from AutoCAD you need to set up your
AutoCAD page so that it is square. This prevents the
objects from rotating 90 degrees when you print them.
The page in the example below is set to 24" x 24" (610 x
610 mm).
Place all of your objects in the upper portion of the
AutoCAD page (see illustration below). If you are printing
to a bed size of 24" x 12" (610 x 305 mm) and you have
a 24" x 24" (610 x 610) page, the objects in the lower 12"
(305 mm) will not be processed.
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