Laser engraving versus cutting

Operation	What the laser does	Layer
Cut	Burns through the sheet along the line	Cut, Inner cut
Vector engrave	Marks the surface along the line	Engrave
Score	A light line, not through	Score
Raster engrave	Fills an area line by line, like a printer	Raster reference

Choosing

• Outlines of parts and holes — cut.
• Text and line art — vector engrave. Filled letters are engraved as outlines in vector mode; to fill them, set the engrave layer to a fill or raster mode in your laser software.
• Fold lines on card — score.
• Photos and shaded artwork — raster engraving, which your laser software does from an image. DIYCutLab places a raster reference area so you know where it goes; it does not convert photos into engraving data.

On cutting machines

Craft cutters cannot engrave. Engrave lines are exported so you can draw them with a pen or score them; the check notes engrave lines will be scored or drawn.

Engraving depth

DIYCutLab does not set engraving depth. Depth and darkness come from power, speed, passes and focus in your laser software. Test on an offcut of the same sheet.