I am still not sure of Etching or Engraving. Is the following Etching? To me the one with the check mark is probably the best, it is darker with very little burn. If so, what would Engraving settings be?
The simple answer, particularly when dealing with wood is that etching is just barely marking the surface of the material where engraving has depth. When dealing with metal, etching actually produces a slightly raised texture.
I think the more common use of the terms in the hobby laser world is when you purchase a file and it lists a color for etch, one for engrave and one for cut. There, etching typically refers to just doing a light outline for placement of the cut items on top of it, or if you just want an outline of text or a graphic without doing a full engrave.
That’s my take on the terms anyhow.
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Etch refers to cut into the surface – historically by acid or something. Commonly done for pcb creation…
Engrave refers is usually interpreted as to cut, carve or etch in/onto a surface.
Traditionally, to engrave, meant to ‘incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it’
I have never seen an advertisement for a laser etch machine… they probably exist, never tried to look for one.
Although the question is probably more academic, I think most of us use the term engrave when using any kind of subtractive machining, such as with a laser.
I engrave a pcb on the little milling machine, but I can also etch them with acid.
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So doing this is actually engraving. When engraving should the settings be different for minimum/maximum be different and the same with cutting?
If you work with wood, you are actually engraving? Got another question; wait for it …
If I understand it correctly, minimum settings are mostly ignored during engraving due to the fact that the laser overscans the image allowing it to get up to speed before turning the fire on. I keep my min/max settings the same for engraving.
Now for cutting, minimum is used as the laser has to slow down to change directions because it is one continuous path and no overscanning is possible.
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I use the term scanning, rather than engraving, as it differentiates between vector engraving and dithering/fill type of operation.
You’re right, however, if the head is up to speed before it’s required to lase, there is no reason for the use of a minimum power. I ignore my minimum power if I’m scanning, I don’t care what it is, as I know it’s not being used. I sure don’t go out of my way to change it to the maximum value.
Grayscale can change power settings based on minimum/maximum settings, wholly unrelated to speed changes.
@Lucie, you can control how your machine responds with power when the speed changes. This allows you to fine tune how the power is applied for a specific type of material or thickness related to speed changes.
Set the Ruida start speed to a value, if you run at or below that value you get minimum power…
I’ve got this chart that I made, and I think it’s reflective of how this relation works…
On the edge of my seat 
Good luck