What you'll make
An optimised greyscale bitmap — contrast-tuned and dithered — ready to import directly into LightBurn as a laser-engravable image.
Step 1 — Upload your image
Import a JPG, PNG or WEBP image. Photos of faces, text, or high-contrast subjects work best. Very low-contrast images may need manual editing first.
Step 2 — Set the engraving dimensions
Enter the final engraved size in mm. Higher resolution images allow smaller sizes without quality loss. Aim for 300–500 DPI in the final output.
Step 3 — Adjust brightness and contrast
Slide brightness and contrast until mid-tones are clearly separated. Laser engravers perform best with strong contrast — subtle gradients often disappear on wood.
Step 4 — Choose dithering mode
For photos on wood, use Floyd-Steinberg dithering. For text or logos, use Threshold mode (pure black and white). Jarvis dithering works well on acrylic.
Step 5 — Set DPI
Set output DPI to match your laser's optical resolution (typically 254 or 500 DPI). Higher DPI = finer detail but longer engrave time.
Step 6 — Export and import into laser software
Export as PNG. Import into LightBurn as a bitmap layer. Set the layer mode to "Image" and use Jarvis or Stucki dithering in LightBurn's image settings.
Pro tips
Tip 1: Remove the background from photos before importing — background clutter reduces engraving quality.
Tip 2: Test on scrap material first. Fine-tune brightness/contrast per material (walnut engraves very differently to pine).