Etch Express vs Trotec Ruby
Ruby is the most modern of the machine-vendor tools - but it runs Trotec lasers only, and it expects clean data. Etch Express is the layer above: it turns the order as it arrived into files Ruby, or anything else, can run.
Trotec Ruby handles design, job prep, and laser control in one flow, and its dynamic-data feature is genuinely ahead of most machine-vendor software. Two walls remain: it drives Trotec machines only, and it starts from a clean CSV. Etch Express does the first mile - AI order parsing, variable templates, automatic bed layout - then exports standard SVG/PDF for Ruby or whatever else is on your floor.
Side by side
| Etch Express | Trotec Ruby | |
|---|---|---|
| Import messy orders (Excel, PDF, handwriting) | Etch ExpressAI parsing into an editable data table | Trotec RubyDynamic data wants a clean CSV |
| Design canvas with variable fields | Etch ExpressYes | Trotec RubyYes - dynamic data fields |
| Auto-layout to blanks or bed | Etch ExpressAutomatic grid from your dimensions | Trotec RubyManual arrangement on the bed |
| Drives the laser / runs the job | Etch ExpressNo - exports SVG & PDF | Trotec RubyYes - Trotec lasers only |
| Works across machines & formats | Etch ExpressMachine-agnostic exports | Trotec RubyTrotec ecosystem only |
| Order workflow & inventory | Etch ExpressStatuses, approvals, materials built in | Trotec RubyJob queue for the laser |
Choose Etch Express when
- Order intake and batch prep are the bottleneck, not running the laser
- You run machines from more than one vendor, or rotary alongside laser
- You want automatic bed layout instead of arranging plates by hand
- You want order status and inventory tracked where the design happens
Stick with Trotec Ruby when
- You're all-Trotec and Ruby's job flow already fits how you work
- You need the software that physically fires the laser and sets parameters
- Your orders genuinely arrive as clean CSVs ready to merge
Bring your art with you
Wherever your plates were designed, they come with you. Drop in PDF, EPS, or SVG - they come back as living templates ready to feed Ruby.
- Drop in PDF, EPS, or SVG - from whatever you design in today
- Plate size, layout, and fonts detected automatically
- Fixed names become variables - your designs, batch-ready
Frequently asked questions
Is Etch Express a replacement for Trotec Ruby?
No. Ruby prepares and runs jobs on Trotec lasers, and it does that well. Etch Express works upstream - parsing the order, batch-designing with variables, and laying out the run - then exports files Ruby can take from there. Shops use them together.
Can I send Etch Express files into Ruby?
Yes. Etch Express exports standard SVG and PDF, which import into Ruby like any other artwork - with the variable data already merged and the layout already done.
Ruby has dynamic data. Why would I need Etch Express?
Ruby's dynamic data merges a clean CSV into a layout you've built. Etch Express covers the steps before that: reading the order out of a spreadsheet, PDF, or handwritten sheet, cleaning it in an editable table, and ganging the whole batch to your blank dimensions automatically. If your orders arrived as clean CSVs, you'd need it less - they rarely do.
What if some of my machines aren't Trotec?
That's a core reason shops add Etch Express. Its exports are machine-agnostic, so one order becomes files for the Trotec, the Chinese-controller laser running LightBurn, and the rotary engraver - without redoing the design per machine.
See where Etch Express fits your shop
Try it free for 30 days. Bring a real order and watch a full batch go from list to production-ready in minutes.
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