Uneven Engraving - First and Last Letters Darker

Hello everyone,
I’ve been using the Creality Falcon2 20W diode laser for some time, and I’ve run into a bit of an issue when engraving text on basswood and plywood. Specifically, I’ve noticed that the first and last letters of each word appear darker than the letters in the middle.
I’ve checked the usual suspects like laser power, speed, and focus, but the issue persists. I suspect it might have something to do with acceleration or power ramping, but I’m not sure how to adjust this with the Falcon2 settings.
Has anyone else faced this issue with their Falcon2 or similar diode lasers? If so, how did you resolve it? I would appreciate any advice or tips you could share to help me achieve more even engraving across all letters.
Thanks in advance!

Hi Clint.

Not sure what software you are using - I use LightBurn. I’m not familiar with other software.
In LB, there is a setting called Overscanning and their doc says: Overscanning generates extra moves, past the ends of each line, switching the laser off before it fully stops, or even before it begins to decelerate, allowing the entirety of the engraving to happen at the desired head speed and then decelerating while the laser is not burning

Try to enable this - I believe this might be the issue.
Let us know!

Hi Zolt, thank you for the tip. I will test different settings and then report back here. Hopefully that will solve the issue.

If overscanning is already enabled, like with the default profile for the Falcon, you might have to increase it for high speeds, because the laser head needs a longer distance to accelerate.