MOPA Color Studio — User Instructions

Document 1 of 4 · MOPA Color Studio v6.0

User Instructions
Complete Guide

How to use MOPA Color Studio — from loading an image to exporting a ready-to-run LightBurn project

© 2026 Jason Mills

v6.0

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What MOPA Color Studio Does

MOPA Color Studio is a browser-based tool that automatically converts any image into a complete set of MOPA fiber laser parameters for full-colour metal marking.

It identifies every colour region in your artwork, assigns the correct laser settings to each colour, and exports a ready-to-run LightBurn project — vector geometry on separate layers, parameters pre-loaded, import guide included.

Nothing to install. Open the HTML file in Chrome or Edge and it works immediately, fully offline.

Machine baseline

Wattage20 W

SourceJPT

Lens110 mm

MaterialStainless 304

Edge Smoothness2 · Balanced

Colour zones29

Languages11

MOPA Color Studio — 52 colours detected from a Black-eyed Susan photograph

Original image

MOPA colour map

52 colours detected

Raycus 30W · 110mm · Stainless 304 · High detail

photo by: Jason Mills

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Getting Started — Toolbar Setup

Wattage

Select your laser's peak power: 10W, 20W, 30W, 50W, 60W, 80W, 100W, or 200W. 20W is the baseline. Power% and speed scale automatically. Frequency and pulse width are unchanged.

Source

Select your laser source: JPT (baseline — fully calibrated), Raycus, MAX, or IPG (approximate — tune from JPT values).

Lens

Select your focusing lens: 75mm (small spot — reduce power), 110mm (baseline), 160mm, or 254mm (large format — increase power).

Material

Choose your material: Stainless 304, Titanium Gr.5, Aluminum 6061, Copper, or Brass. Scales frequency, pulse width, power, and speed for that metal.

Detail level

High · 3-tone — detects sub-tones, most zones. Medium · 2-tone — balanced. Standard — fewest zones, fastest LightBurn import.

Edge Smoothness

The Edge Smoothness slider controls how aggressively stray edge pixels and path noise are cleaned up before export. 0 · Raw — no processing, use for clean logos and vector art. 1 · Light — minimal fringe cleanup. 2 · Balanced — recommended for most images (default). 3 · Strong — heavier cleanup for complex artwork. 4 · Maximum — full pre-blur plus cleanup, best for photos with noisy colour edges. The slider re-processes the image immediately so you can preview the effect before exporting.

Load image

Click ↑ Load Image or drag any PNG, JPG, BMP, or WEBP onto the left pane. The colour map appears immediately on the right.

Tip

All four settings — Wattage, Source, Lens, and Material — multiply together on power% and speed. The Edge Smoothness slider setting is also saved with your Preset. Save your complete machine profile as a named Preset so you can recall it instantly for future jobs.

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The Remap Pane — Five Views

Tab

Shows

Use for

Color

Zone colour map

Visual check — closest match to your original image

Freq

Frequency heat map

Spotting high/low frequency zones

Power

Power level map

Identifying zones that may overlap in intensity

Zones

Flat colour blocks

Checking zone boundaries and coverage

Vector

Vector geometry preview

See exactly what will be exported — switch A / B / C

MOPA remap pane — colours with tooltip visible

MOPA Remap pane — hover any zone to see parameters

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Editing Zones & Vector Preview

Editing parameters — click any colour row in the Detected Zones table to open the parameter editor. Six sliders control the zone independently:

Parameter

Unit

Effect

Frequency

kHz

Higher = lighter mark

Pulse width

Longer = more energy per pulse

Peak power

Direct intensity control

Speed

mm/s

Slower = darker mark

Line gap

Smaller = more energy per area

Passes

Multiple passes build colour

Autosave

Every edit saves automatically and carries forward to every future image.

Vector preview — click the Vector tab then choose your trace method using the A / B / C pills. What you see is exactly what gets exported.

Pixel Runs

One rect per horizontal pixel run. Pixel-perfect. Highest node count. Best for detailed images.

Block Merge

Merges runs into rectangles. Same accuracy, 5–20× fewer shapes. Best all-round.

Contour Trace

Smooth boundary polygons. Fewest nodes. Best for bold graphic artwork.

Detected Zones table · click any row to edit parameters

Parameter editor with live sliders

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Presets, Language & Docs

Presets — click Presets in the toolbar to save your complete machine profile (wattage, source, lens, material, all colour parameters) as a named snapshot. Load it in one click for future jobs. Factory defaults are always one click away.

Naming tip

Name presets like "JPT 50W 110mm SS304" so you can identify them instantly.

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Language

Use the language dropdown (top-right toolbar). 11 languages: EN · FR · DE · IT · ES · PT · NL · PL · 中文 · 日本語 · 한국어. Remembered automatically.

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Docs menu

Click Docs in the toolbar to open any instruction document in a new tab.

Help button

Opens a built-in quick-reference panel at any time without leaving the app.

Exporting for LightBurn

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Exporting for LightBurn

Choose trace method

The export modal pre-selects whatever method you were previewing in the Vector tab. Change it here if needed.

Choose format

ZIP Package — contains mopa_project.lbrn with all zone geometry already embedded on separate layers. Open it with File > Open in LightBurn — no SVG import, no alignment needed.

Click Export

File downloads immediately. Open mopa_project.lbrn in LightBurn using File > Open. All zones are already drawn, positioned, and layered — ready to engrave immediately. See Document 2 for full details.

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CSV Export

Exports all colour parameters as a spreadsheet file for record-keeping or building your own database.

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Save Project (.mopa)

Saves the image, all colour parameters, wattage, source, lens, material, and detail level as a single file. Open later to resume exactly where you left off.

🎨 Recommended — Run the Test Card before your final engrave

Click 🎨 Test Card in the toolbar or Export modal. Two files download instantly — mopa_test_card.lbrn (29 colour swatches, 10×10mm each, ready to engrave on scrap material) and mopa_test_card.html (a printable reference card with a Notes column). Open the .lbrn in LightBurn with File › Open, group with Ctrl+A → Ctrl+G, engrave on scrap, compare results to the HTML card, adjust any parameters that need tuning, save as a preset, then run your final job. See Document 2 — LightBurn Import Guide for the full 8-step test card procedure.

Always test first

Parameters are starting points. Always test on scrap material before your final engrave.

DOC-01 · User Instructions · v6.0

LightBurn Layer Structure

Every ZIP export from MOPA Color Studio generates a 32-layer LightBurn project with a consistent, predictable layout.

Layer	LBRN Index	Type	Purpose
T1	0	Tool	Auto-metadata — file name, type & pixel dimensions. Does not fire laser.
T2	1	Tool	Reserved tool layer — empty, available for custom use. Does not fire laser.
00–27	2–29	Scan	Colour import layers — 28 working layers. Layer 00 is the default import layer.
28–29	30–31	Cut	Reserve/Aux — intentionally open. Add outlines, fixtures, frames, or custom geometry.

🏷️ About T1 Auto-Metadata

When you import an image, T1 automatically fills with: filename.jpg | JPG | 1200×800px. This text appears in LightBurn so you can instantly identify the source file and image dimensions without opening the original. T1 is a Tool layer — it never fires the laser, and you can edit or clear the text at any time in LightBurn.

✂️ Using Reserve/Aux Layers 28 & 29

Layers 28 and 29 are exported as empty Cut layers in every project. They are there for you — add an outline, a fixture border, a registration mark, or any geometry you need to cut. They will never be overwritten by re-importing an image. Configure speed and power in LightBurn's layer panel before running.

Welcome Screen & Startup Preference

MOPA Color Studio shows a welcome splash screen each time you open the app. The splash explains the layer system, links to documentation, and provides quick-start buttons.

SHOW ON STARTUP (DEFAULT)

The checkbox "Show this screen every time I open MOPA Color Studio" is checked by default. The splash will appear on every visit until you uncheck it.

SUPPRESS THE SPLASH

Uncheck the checkbox on the splash screen. Your preference is saved in your browser's local storage — it persists across visits on the same device and browser. Clearing browser data will reset the preference.

📖 Documents section — The full user guide, LightBurn import walkthrough, and vendor onboarding guide are always available inside the app via the Documents button in the toolbar.