Not real photo preview

The Preview is accurate primarily to 2 things:

1. Shows you path the laser will take and when the laser will be engaged.
2. Relative power to be used if “Shade according to power” is enabled.
What it does not show you is everything else that’s potentially relevant that can affect the outcome of the job. For example:

1. Correct power and speed settings for the particular material
2. Whether or not the interval setting is resolvable by your machinery and the material
3. Whether or not you have the laser in focus
4. What material you are burning to. All materials behave differently
5. The specific shape of the laser dot that your laser generates
6. The specific characteristics of your particular equipment
7. Environmental factors that could affect the burn
8. Every other possible factor not accounted for in the things that are shown in Preview

This is where the art and experience of the operator comes into play. You will need to familiarize yourself with all the various conditions that affect your jobs and adjust accordingly. Experimentation, material tests, and documentation are important in getting you to that point.

One shortcut is following recipes that others with very similar equipment have done to see if you can reproduce those results.

But beyond that there aren’t really any shortcuts to understanding the tools at your disposal and the materials that you’re working with.