{"id":2602,"date":"2015-05-07T14:31:43","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T19:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/?p=2602"},"modified":"2025-06-04T09:55:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T15:55:53","slug":"focusing-your-laser-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/?p=2602","title":{"rendered":"Focusing Your Laser 101"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>So you just bought a fancy new laser and now you are wondering how do I get the results that J Tech is getting when I know nothing about lasers? \u00a0The answer is that you need to always have the laser be at minimum focus to be able to perform cuts and engravings at their optimal performance. \u00a0Once you master the art of focusing, then you are on your path to becoming a super laser user!<\/p>\n<p>First off, let me say that this is the point where you will need to ALWAYS make sure to have ALL people wear appropriate safety goggles at ALL times and use proper laser safety for your class 4 laser including laser shielding and interlocks. \u00a0If you ever have any questions about safety, then do not operate your laser.<\/p>\n<p>Ok, now that we are past that part, lets review the basics of what your laser is so we can better understand how to get it to focus.<\/p>\n<h2>Focusing 101 Video<\/h2>\n<p>Everyone likes videos, so we put all of this information in an easy to watch video.\u00a0 We explain how to set the Z focus from the factory as well as changing out lenses and focusing them.\u00a0 Watch this to get a full overview of the process.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eR1EibgcKSY\" width=\"720\" height=\"420\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For the people who don&#8217;t want videos, here is some information on how to focus the old fashioned way.<\/p>\n<h3>What is a diode laser?<\/h3>\n<p>A semiconductor diode laser is a device made out of semiconductor (computer chip) material that takes electricity and converts it into light (photons). \u00a0This device is very small and contains all the needed laser stuff, like an optical cavity and mirrors on each end. \u00a0Basically, when current is applied to the laser diode, electrons will be excited and will release photons. \u00a0These photons will travel down the semiconductor cavity and bounce back and forth off the &#8220;facets&#8221; or sides of the device until there is enough energy to output the light out of the emitter. \u00a0This process continues as long as the electrical current is applied.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2613 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A diagram of focusing your laser 101\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser.jpg 563w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Why is the beam a rectangle and not a spot and what is all the extra light?<\/h3>\n<p>Each diode will have an &#8220;emitter&#8221; in it that is where the laser light comes from. \u00a0This is seen in the above picture with the rectangle portion labeled &#8220;LASER&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0 There is also some other light that is emitted from the other portions of the diode that are not included in the optical cavity of the laser. This light is probably what you are seeing. It also can be from various reflections from the very large angle light coming out of the diode. The lens have been designed to reduce these reflections but they can still be present. All of the &#8220;extra&#8221; light has nothing to do with the actual laser and its ability to cut and engrave.<\/p>\n<h3>How does the front lens work?<\/h3>\n<p>The lens used is a positive or converging lens in air will focus a collimated beam travelling along the lens axis to a spot (known as the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Focus_(optics)\">focal point<\/a>) at a distance\u00a0<em>f<\/em>\u00a0from the lens. Conversely, a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Point_source\">point source<\/a>\u00a0of light placed at the focal point will be converted into a collimated beam by the lens. These two cases are examples of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image\">image<\/a>\u00a0formation in lenses. In the former case, an object at an infinite distance (as represented by a collimated beam of waves) is focused to an image at the focal point of the lens. In the latter, an object at the focal length distance from the lens is imaged at infinity. The plane perpendicular to the lens axis situated at a distance\u00a0<em>f<\/em>\u00a0from the lens is called the\u00a0<em>focal plane<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/image001.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2615 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/image001-300x142.png\" alt=\"image001\" width=\"300\" height=\"142\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If the distances from the object to the lens and from the lens to the image are\u00a0<em>S<\/em><sub>1<\/sub>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>S<\/em><sub>2<\/sub>\u00a0respectively, for a lens of negligible thickness, in air, the distances are related by the\u00a0<strong>thin lens formula:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2616\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/image003.gif\" alt=\"image003\" width=\"110\" height=\"45\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Basically, you are imaging the output of the laser emitter onto the surface of your material. \u00a0You want to find the SMALLEST point at which that image exists.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the focal length?<\/h3>\n<p>The focal length in this case is adjustable. \u00a0The closer the lens gets to the laser diode the longer the distance from the lens to the minimal focus is. \u00a0With our lasers we recommend about 1 to 3\u00a0inches away from the work surface. \u00a0We normally have ours between 2.5&#8243; and 3&#8243; to help keep debris off the lens. \u00a0Being closer makes the &#8220;depth of focus&#8221; (the amount in the z axis that it stays small) larger. \u00a0The farther away you get the harder it will be to get the smallest focus. \u00a0Above three inches, you will be able to visibly see the rectangular shape of the laser diode. \u00a0It will still burn and cut, but it will not be as efficient and the size of the line will be larger. \u00a0We recommend setting up your machine so the focus can be under 3&#8243;. \u00a0If your Z axis has to be taller (i.e. because your gantry is tall) then consider making a new mounting plate that is lower or if possible add some material under your work to put it closer to the laser. \u00a0Especially for fine picture engraving it will need to be 3&#8243; or under.<\/p>\n<p><strong>*Note*<\/strong> The focal point is not really a point, but rather a position in Z where the beam is at a minimum. \u00a0This area will be the smallest the beam waist can be. \u00a0The distance of where this area is called the &#8220;depth of focus&#8221;. \u00a0On each size in Z, the focus will start to get bigger. \u00a0It will look like this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7425\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Focus.png\" alt=\"Laser Focus\" width=\"197\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Focus.png 197w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Focus-150x194.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It will look very much like an hourglass.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7426\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Hourglasssm.jpg\" alt=\"Hourglasssm\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Hourglasssm.jpg 200w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Hourglasssm-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Hourglasssm-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When you are adjusting your front silver lens screw, you are going to be turning it to look for this small part where the sand can barely get through. \u00a0If you turn the lens and it is getting bigger, then go the other way. \u00a0You will notice is gets smaller and smaller, until it then starts to get bigger. \u00a0You just went past the small part of the hourglass. \u00a0Then, turn it the other way. \u00a0You notice is gets smaller now until it just starts to get bigger again. \u00a0Do this a few times. \u00a0You will then get a feeling where the smallest part is of the beam. \u00a0This is the best focus you can get. \u00a0We will now go into detail on how to do this, but remember the hourglass example while you are doing these instructions.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0Ok, so how do I get the smallest focus?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Shrouded Lasers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the lasers with the magnetic shroud, your focus comes PRE SET to just 1\/8&#8243; below the shroud.\u00a0 This will make it safer because the laser spot will be surrounded by the shroud.\u00a0 Move the Z axis down to the work surface so the laser is just above the work at 1\/8&#8243;.\u00a0 Here is a picture:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12922 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1077\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers.jpg 1077w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Shroud-Focus-J-Tech-Lasers-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1077px) 100vw, 1077px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17493 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Shroud-Distance.jpg 1530w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Un-shrouded Lasers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If your laser is a 2.8W, 2W, or 1w your laser shipped with the <strong>focus set to 3&#8243;<\/strong> if you bought it from us. \u00a0You can put it on your machine and set it to 3&#8243; from the front of the lens and you will have a pretty good focus. \u00a0You can adjust it slightly by moving up or down to get it perfect, but it should work pretty good out of the box.<\/p>\n<p>If your laser is a 3.8W or 4.2W your laser shipped with\u00a0<strong>focus set to 1.5&#8243;<\/strong> if you bought it from us.<\/p>\n<p>The HF lens included in the kit has the smallest focus to closer to the work surface you get. \u00a0On all of the lasers, the closer to 1&#8243; you get the smaller your spot will be.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13954\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/JTech-Photonics-Focus-Unshrouded-Lasers-2-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Great! \u00a0The focus looks good out of the box, but I want to adjust it myself. \u00a0How do I do this?<\/h3>\n<p>There are a few ways to do this. \u00a0You are first going to have to turn your laser power down so you can look at the beam without burning a hole in your material. \u00a0You can do this two ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Using PWM control &#8211; This way is easiest if you have it. \u00a0Just simply send a command to turn the laser down from your controller. This works for X carve, Shapeoko (1,2,3), and most 3D printers.<\/li>\n<li>Using the Potentiometer &#8211; This way involves turning the laser driver down in current using the jumpers and potentiometer. \u00a0This is for most Mach3 machines, old CNC machines, and 3D printers running Sailfish firmware (Makerbot).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Here is the detail for a couple of quick methods for finding the minimum spot size focal length.\u00a0 Remember to use laser shielding if possible and your safety goggles when performing this exercise.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4>Method 1: Using PWM from your controller to turn down the laser and focus. (X Carve, Shapeoko (1,2,3), GRBL, Most 3D Printers)<\/h4>\n<p>In this case you don&#8217;t need to adjust the potentiometer. \u00a0It is really easy to set the power down to the minimal level. \u00a0It basically involves turning the laser power down and putting a white piece of paper on the work surface to see the laser spot clearly. \u00a0We are going to use the computer controller to set the power level using software to get the laser to turn down power so we can not burn the paper. \u00a0For most firmware it will be a low number. \u00a0Somewhere around 1% to 2% of maximum value should do the trick of not burning the paper and being able to see the laser spot on the white paper better.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Adjust the Z height of the machine so the laser is between 1&#8243; and 3&#8243; (25mm and 75mm).\u00a0 It can be somewhere in this range, but not over 3&#8243;. \u00a0We normally start close to 1.5&#8243;.<\/li>\n<li>Set a piece of black paper or other black material on the work surface, or ON TOP of whatever material you are going to process (or where you would like to set the focus at).<\/li>\n<li>Turn the driver board on.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure the front Switch is set to TTL (input control mode) and is pushed to the farthest right looking at the front.<\/li>\n<li>Using Lightburn, set the laser fire button to your low power (normally around 4%).<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17495 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Fire-Button-Lightburn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"427\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Fire-Button-Lightburn.jpg 427w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Fire-Button-Lightburn-267x300.jpg 267w, https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser-Fire-Button-Lightburn-150x168.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px\" \/><br \/>\nUsing a sender program or 3D controller software, send a command to the machine\/printer to set the power level low. \u00a0For X Carve or Shapeoko machines we recommend using either UGS or PicSender. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/?p=4910\">UGS tutorial is here<\/a>\u00a0. 3D printers we recommend using Repetier Host.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Setting power low (about 2%) for GRBL machines (X Carve, Shapeoko 1-2-3, other GRBL):<\/em><br \/>\nFor the J Tech GRBL or version 1.1 firmware you will send:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<strong>M03 S10<\/strong><br \/>\nFor Inventables firmware or standard 0.9 GRBL send: \u00a0 \u00a0<strong>M03 S1400<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Setting power low (about 2%) for 3D Printers using Fan PWM control:<\/em><br \/>\nFor Marlin firmware on a 3D printer with fan control send: \u00a0<strong>M106 S5<\/strong><br \/>\nFor 3D Printers using Repetier Host and fan control use the Manual tab and the FAN slider to turn it down.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>If it is too powerful or not enough light then try different levels until you just have the laser turned on.<\/li>\n<li>Now you can adjust the lens to get the smallest spot at the surface. Adjust the lens one direction and if it gets bigger, then adjust it the other direction until the spot is small.\u00a0 It is fine to pass it a couple of times in each direction until you get a feel for where the minimum will be. \u00a0Remember the hourglass example from above. \u00a0Once you have finished this, you can probably be done as it will be a pretty good focus.<\/li>\n<li>If you want it <em>perfect,\u00a0<\/em> you can repeat the same process, but now using your machines Z axis. Adjust the Z axis to get the best possible smallest spot that you can tell by looking at it.<\/li>\n<li>Now move the Z axis away from your smallest spot in a known increment until you can see the spot get bigger.<\/li>\n<li>Move the other direction in the known increment until you pass the smallest spot and get to the same size big spot in the other direction. Count how many increments this was.<\/li>\n<li>The smallest spot is now exactly between these &#8220;easier to see&#8221; larger spot sizes. Take the count of increments and divide by two and move the Z axis by this amount.<\/li>\n<li>When you are done, set this new Z location as your &#8220;home&#8221; location.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You are now ready to process with the laser at its smallest spot size!<\/p>\n<p>Note:\u00a0 If you don&#8217;t want to do this procedure every time you try a new material, then focus the spot at the work surface.\u00a0 Then, measure the thickness of the material you are processing and move the Z axis UP this thickness.\u00a0 I.e., if you are cutting 1\/16&#8243; Balsa wood, move the Z Axis up 1\/16&#8243; so it is focused on the top of the material.<\/p>\n<h4>Method 2: \u00a0Using the potentiometer to turn the laser down and focus.<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Adjust the Z height of the machine so the laser is between 1&#8243; and 3&#8243; (25mm and 75mm).\u00a0 It can be somewhere in this range, but not over 3&#8243;. \u00a0We normally start close to 1.5&#8243;.<\/li>\n<li>Set a piece of white paper on the work surface, or ON TOP of whatever material you are going to process (or where you would like to set the focus at).<\/li>\n<li>Then WITH THE POWER OFF, turn the pot<strong> counter clockwise <\/strong>ALL THE WAY (approx 21 turns). You might hear a slight clicking sound when it has reached the maximum off distance or feel a clicking.<\/li>\n<li>Then turn the driver board on.<\/li>\n<li>Switch the front switch (mode selector) to CW (towards the power switch).\u00a0 The laser is now on, but will not be lasing because there is no current.<\/li>\n<li>Turn the pot slowly <strong>clockwise<\/strong> until you just see the laser starting to shine light.\u00a0 Stop when you can see a bright spot in the center.\u00a0 Should be about 1-3 turns.<\/li>\n<li>Now you can adjust the lens to get the smallest spot at the surface. Adjust the lens one direction and if it gets bigger, then adjust it the other direction until the spot is small.\u00a0 It is fine to pass it a couple of times in each direction until you get a feel for where the minimum will be.\u00a0Remember the hourglass example from above. \u00a0Once you have finished this, you can probably be done as it will be a pretty good focus.<\/li>\n<li>If you want it\u00a0<em>perfect,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0you can repeat\u00a0the same process, but now using your machines Z axis. Adjust the Z axis to get the best possible smallest spot that you can tell by looking at it.<\/li>\n<li>Now move the Z axis away from your smallest spot in a known increment until you can see the beam get bigger.<\/li>\n<li>Move the other direction in the known increment until you pass the smallest spot and get to the same size big beam in the other direction. Count how many increments this was.<\/li>\n<li>The smallest spot is now exactly between these &#8220;easier to see&#8221; larger spot sizes. Take the count of increments and divide by two and move the Z axis by this amount.<\/li>\n<li>When you are done, set this new Z location as your &#8220;home&#8221; location.<\/li>\n<li>Then switch the mode selector back to &#8220;TTL&#8221; (right).<\/li>\n<li>Turn off the driver board.<\/li>\n<li>Now follow the instructions in the <a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/Instruction-Manual-HCDBSAFDA-J-Tech-Photonics-Inc-V1_2.pdf\">manual (HERE)<\/a> on adjusting the current. \u00a0You will be using your meter and adjusting the potentiometer to the desired current output. (see section &#8220;adjusting current&#8221; in the instructions).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">What is another way to find focus? \u00a0I am having trouble with using my eyes?<\/h3>\n<p>Sure, there is another probably easier way to find the smallest focus that does not use your eyes to figure it out. \u00a0Basically, you are going to use your laser to engrave at various z heights. \u00a0Start at a lower height and then increment Z up by 1mm or so. \u00a0Do this several times and then see which is the smallest line. \u00a0 Here are the details:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Take a scrap piece of wood or other waste material that has some room for lines.<\/li>\n<li>Set the laser power so it doesn&#8217;t cut, but instead gives a nice dark engraving without burning too much.<\/li>\n<li>Make a program in inkscape with a set of lines next to each other will a little spacing between the lines(see below for our file). Open the file in notepad and adjust the Z axis up by 1mm every line.<\/li>\n<li>Set your Z to where you think your focus is somewhere than as good as you can get.<\/li>\n<li>Run the program. It will engrave the first line and increment the Z axis up on each line by 1 mm. If you use our file It will start on the top line in the inkscape drawing.<\/li>\n<li>Inspect the lines and see if it they get larger or smaller in size. Best case scenario is one line looks thinner than the others. The thinnest one is your best focus. You can then increment the Z axis back to this position (ie., if it is on the 4th line from the top, then you need to increment the Z axis back up by 4mm in the manual control. )<\/li>\n<li>If the lines just get bigger, then\u00a0you started too high. Set the Z axis down and then re-run the program again and see if there is a thin line in the group. Set the Z then to this line.<\/li>\n<li>If 1mm is too big an increment, then re-run the program with smaller increments to &#8220;hone in&#8221; on where the thinnest line is. If 1mm is too small of increments to tell, then make them bigger and then find the thinnest line and repeat with smaller increments when you get closer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/Downloads\/Focusing\/FocusLines.svg\"><strong>Inkscape File with example lines<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/Downloads\/Focusing\/FocusLines_8Up.gcode\"><strong>G Code File with 8 lines, Z moving up 1mm each<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Note: This will set the focus to the top of the material you are using to check focus. If you want to make the focus be at the work piece then just adjust the Z axis down by the thickness of the material you were using. Then, just measure whatever you want to engrave and adjust back up by this thickness to be sure you are at the top of the material before processing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser_Cal-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2620\" src=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Laser_Cal-2-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"Laser_Cal 2\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Example of engraving lines while moving the Z axis to find the smallest focus. \u00a0This case it is 26 mm up.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Conclusions<\/h3>\n<p>Focusing the lens to the smallest focus is a very hard thing to get correct without a lot of practice. \u00a0It is however one of the most important parts needed to get the results shown in the applications pages on this site. \u00a0If your laser is out of focus just by a little bit, then the power density of the spot goes way down. \u00a0Think about getting your laser in focus to back when you were a kid and you had a magnifying glass and you used it to try and catch something on fire by focusing the sun (if you never did this then just imagine it). \u00a0It is hard to get that little image of the sun to stay in one spot in order to get something to burn! \u00a0This is the same with your laser, but once you get it right you can dial it in every time as long as nothing changes on your machine! \u00a0Remember, practice makes perfect and good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you just bought a fancy new laser and now you are wondering how do I get the results that J Tech is getting when I know nothing about lasers? \u00a0The answer is that you need to always have the laser be at minimum focus to be able to perform cuts and engravings at their&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jtechphotonics.com\/?p=2602\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Focusing Your Laser 101<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Focusing Your Laser 101 with J Tech Photonics, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"J Tech Photonics, Inc. is here to offer you instructions on focusing your laser 101. 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