Drawing Quality Issues

If your DexArm sketches look thin, broken, distorted, or just "off" compared to what you saw in the AI preview, the cause is usually mechanical (Z-height, paper, pen) rather than software. This article walks through the diagnostics in the order they typically resolve quality complaints.

Quick Diagnostics

1. Look at the line itself. Are lines too faint, broken, or skipping? That points to Z-height or pen issues.
2. Look at the overall shape. Is the face distorted, the eyes wrong, or the head missing details? That points to AI model and prompt issues.
3. Look at the paper. Is the paper moving, wrinkled, or the wrong type? That can ruin even a perfectly calibrated sketch.
4. Look at the photo input. A blurry or poorly lit guest photo makes a poor sketch -- the AI cannot work with what it cannot see.

Common Issues

Lines Are Inconsistent (Faint, Skipping, Too Heavy)

Problem: The pen lifts off the paper in some areas leaving gaps, or presses too hard in others tearing the paper. Line weight varies across the same drawing.

Cause: Z-height calibration is off. The pen tip is not consistently the right distance from the paper across the full drawing area -- this is the typical cause of inconsistent line quality.

Solution:

1. Recalibrate the Z-height any time you change the pen, paper type, or paper thickness.
2. Follow the DMBot Calibration guide for the exact procedure.
3. Run a Draw Bounds test after calibrating to confirm the pen is at the correct height across all four corners of the drawing area.
4. If lines are heavy in the center but faint at the edges, the paper or work surface is not perfectly flat. Re-level the bot's work surface.

Pen Is Running Out of Ink

Problem: Lines start strong and fade halfway through the sketch.

Cause: Pen ink is depleting, or the pen tip is drying out from being uncapped too long.

Solution:

1. Replace pens regularly. Plan on a fresh pen every 50-100 drawings depending on the model.
2. Keep the pen capped between events to prevent the tip from drying.
3. After replacing a pen, recalibrate Z-height -- new pens are slightly different lengths.
4. Use the pen brand and model Foto Master recommends. Off-brand pens vary in tip stiffness and ink flow.

Paper Type and Texture Issues

Problem: Drawings look bad even though the bot is calibrated and the pen is fresh.

Cause: A paper holder that is too large for the paper allows the paper to slide around mid-draw -- stabilizing it (for example, with a paper clip) can significantly improve the drawing.

Solution:

1. Use the paper holder size that matches your paper. A 4x6 paper in a 6x8 holder will move.
2. Add a clip or weight if the paper is even slightly loose in the holder.
3. Use smooth paper -- textured or watercolor paper grabs the pen and creates broken lines.
4. Verify paper thickness. Very thick paper changes the effective Z-height; very thin paper can wrinkle under pen pressure.

Photo Quality Affects AI Sketch Quality

Problem: The drawing looks bad and you suspect the bot, but the AI preview already looked rough.

Cause: The AI cannot create a great sketch from a poor photo. Blurry, dark, side-angle, or low-resolution input photos all degrade the AI output before the bot ever picks up the pen.

Solution:

1. Make sure guests are well lit and facing the camera during the photo step.
2. Use the face-detection focus mode on your camera so the guest's face is sharp.
3. Add a workflow step that lets the guest review and retake the photo before AI processing.
4. If a guest's photo "won't convert" after multiple retakes, check that the photo is not so dark or blurry that face detection is missing.

Caricature vs. Portrait -- Try a Different AI Model

Problem: The drawing style doesn't match what you wanted -- too cartoony, too realistic, missing personality.

Cause: Different AI models produce different aesthetic results. Caricature exaggerates features; Portrait is more literal. Within those, Caricature v1 is simplified, v2 is more detailed, and the Cloud also offers Monet and Davinci styles for FMX.

Solution:

1. Open your workflow in cloud.fotomaster.com > Presets > FMX (iPadOS).
2. Find the AI Draw Me step and click its settings.
3. Try switching between AI models:
   • Caricature v1 -- simplified, fewer lines, faster
   • Caricature v2 -- detailed with more lines
   • Portrait -- realistic likeness
   • Monet / Davinci -- artistic styles
4. Save and test with a sample photo before your event.

Hair, Beard, and Detail Toggles

Problem: Hair looks like a blob, or the bot misses fine facial-hair details.

Cause: Detail toggles in the AI Draw Me step control how much line detail the model produces in those areas.

Solution:

1. In the AI Draw Me step settings, enable Detailed Hair and Detailed Beard toggles.
2. Be aware that detailed mode adds drawing time -- a sketch may take 90-120 seconds longer.
3. If hair still looks wrong, the source photo likely has the hair against a similar-colored background, which confuses the AI's edge detection. Use better lighting separation.

Drawing Suddenly Slows or Pauses

Problem: The bot draws fine but takes much longer than expected.

Cause: Detailed prompts and high-detail AI models take longer. A very detailed prompt -- with many descriptors -- forces the bot to draw more lines.

Solution:

1. Adjust the working speed in DrawMeBot Settings. Faster speeds reduce drawing time but can affect output quality on detailed images. See DMBot Settings Guide for the working-speed options.
2. Simplify the prompt. A long, descriptor-heavy prompt produces more lines. For events with throughput pressure, use shorter prompts.
3. Use a less-detailed AI model (Caricature v1 instead of v2) if event pacing is critical.

Related Articles

• DMBot Settings Guide
• DMBot Calibration
• DMBot Troubleshooting
• AI Draw Me
• Draw Me Bot Not Connecting
• Robot Stops Mid-Drawing
• DrawMeBot After FMX Migration