1. Connect xTool S1 to XCS.

2. Select the Screen preparation processing mode in the toolbar.

3. Select the material in the upper-right corner.

4. Import an image file or insert objects on the canvas. On this page, use an image in the Artimind gallery as an example.

5. Scale, resize, and position the image.

6. Trace the image. Note that you need to select the Layering by color option.

Two layers are generated in two colors.

7. Delete the original image, leaving the generated vectors.

8. Set the processing type to Engrave. A reference setting is provided. You can use it directly.

9. Rotate the design 90 degrees clockwise, and then reflect it vertically.

10. Click Go to process. The Preview window is displayed, where you can see the tasks generated, two in this example. By selecting Preview tasks in progress only, you can check the objects to be processed in the selected task.

11. Click Start 1/2 in the upper-right corner to start the first task, press the button on the machine to start processing, and wait for the processing to complete.

12. Take the engraved screen out, and place a new screen into the machine.

13. Click Start 2/2 in the upper-right corner to start the second task, press the button on the machine to start processing, and wait for the processing to complete.

14. Take the engraved screen out. 

15. Use the screens for printing.

Note:  If more layers are generated by color and therefore more tasks are generated by layer, you need to get more screens ready, one screen for one task.

Process screens by split CMYK channels for multi-color printing

Only bitmap images with large color blocks and clear color edges can be traced and extracted with decent performance, so there is no guarantee that all the bitmap images can regain their original appearance after they are converted into vector images.

To address this issue, XCS provides a solution to image printing. That is, you can halftone a bitmap image, split the CMYK channels, and process four screens accordingly. Then, use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) ink to print and regain the colors of the bitmap image.

1. Connect xTool S1 to XCS. 

2. Select the Screen preparation processing mode in the toolbar.

3. Select the material in the upper-right corner.

4. Import a bitmap image. Scale, resize, and position the image. 

5. Reflect the image horizontally as prompted.

6. Click the CMYK splitting icon to split CMYK channels.

7. Select the Halftone processing checkbox, adopt the default value 4 for the maximum radius, and click Apply.

8. The original bitmap image is divided into 4 images based on the split CMYK channels. Each image can be found on its corresponding layer: Black, Yellow, Red, and Cyan. 

These 4 images are grouped automatically after CMYK channels are split. Do not ungroup the images or move their relative positions.

Note: The image of the magenta color is on the Red layer.

9. Use the reference parameters and click the icon right to the Go to process button. In the Processing settings dialog box, enable By layer and select the Divided into subtasks checkbox.

10. Click Go to process. The Preview window is displayed, where you can see the tasks generated. In this example, there are 4 tasks that represent 4 images of the Cyan, Yellow, Red, and Black layers. By selecting Preview tasks in progress only, you can check the objects to be processed in the current task.

11. Click Start 1/4 in the upper-right corner to start the first task, press the button on the machine to start processing, and wait for the processing to complete.

12. Take the engraved screen out, and place a new screen into the machine. Repeat the above steps and complete the four processing tasks.

13. Take the engraved screens out and use them for printing. Apply cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink to corresponding screens for multi-color printing. To faithfully reproduce the colors of the bitmap image, it is recommended to print in the following CMYK order: cyan, magenta, yellow, then black. 

Note: Ensure that the ink color on one screen is consistent with the layer color of the screen image. Note that the magenta ink should be applied to the screen where the screen image is on the Red layer.