Let’s say you have a design with three columns, each with about 20 names. By default, the laser sees this as one image and the laser head will travel over the white space between columns in order to engrave the entire graphic you’ve sent to print. Using color mapping you can skip all that white space by assigning each column a different color and an associated engraving order.
With this method, the laser will engrave one column at a time, only travelling over the white space between columns when it’s time to move on to the next set of names. This approach can save you upwards of 43 percent depending on the items you’re engraving.
-Amy Dallman, Epilog Laser