Working With Images
Engraving images is one of the coolest things your laser can do, but it's also one of the hardest processes to get just right. Check out the following pages to learn the basics of image engraving with LightBurn, along with some advanced techniques for when you're a seasoned pro.
Image Mode¶
Image Mode is a special engraving mode for images, which works similarly to Fill Mode, but allows you to select an additional image processing mode that affects the appearance of the engraving.
Speed, Power, and Line Interval are all crucial settings for achieving great image engravings, but the appropriate settings are heavily dependent on your laser and material.
Images vs. Vectors¶
Understanding the difference between images and vectors is essential for creating and editing custom projects. It influences the tools and methods used in LightBurn, as well as the settings, speed, and quality of jobs.
| Images | Vectors |
|---|---|
 |
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| Images are made up of pixels — tiny blocks of color in a grid. Sometimes called bitmaps or rasters, Images include digital photographs, flatbed scans, digital drawings, and computer-generated renders. | Vectors are essentially lines made of mathematical formulas. No matter how far you zoom in on a vector it will always be perfect quality, so it's a great way to make logos and graphics. |
Five Steps to Perfect Image Engraving¶
Getting an image to engrave well is a task that often stumps even experienced laser-folk. Often images appear too dark, too light, or "muddy" and lacking detail.
There are many settings that influence the quality of an engraved image, and each one needs to be refined for the overall image to engrave well. In this article we briefly explain the purpose of these settings and, more importantly, how to get them perfect.
Line Interval¶
Line Interval is the distance between scan lines when raster engraving, making it one of the key settings determining the quality of engravings on Image and Fill Layers. It is mathematically tied to the Lines per Inch value.
Lower Line Interval values lead to a greater density of lines. The ideal Line Interval will produce lines that just touch, without overlapping.
Increasing Line Interval to the maximum amount that doesn't leave gaps between lines will lead to reduced runtimes for your projects, with no loss in quality, but you may also need to increase Power to achieve dark engravings.
Use the Interval Test or Material Test to find the optimal Line Interval for your laser and material.
Dot Width Correction¶
Dot Width Correction compensates for the thickness of the laser's beam by shortening the length of engraved scan lines. The ideal Dot Width Correction value is about half the total thickness of the laser's beam. Due to varying affects of power output on different materials, this ideal value can vary depending on the material you're working with.
Adjust Image¶
The Adjust Image tool streamlines the process of tweaking Image Settings such as Contrast, Brightness, and Gamma while also changing Layer Settings, allowing you to adjust all of these properties from a single window, and see an instant preview of resulting output.
Apply Mask to Image¶
Use Apply Mask to Image to hide portions of images that you do not want to engrave, or to divide them into more complex engraving patterns.
By default, image masking doesn't delete the data of the removed part of the image, it just hides it from view and doesn't output those parts to the machine.
Image Tracing¶
Use the Trace Image tool to convert imported images into vector graphics.
This is useful if you want to edit an image that has high contrast or well-defined edges, including logos, silhouettes, cartoons, sketches, and handwriting. You can trace photographs as well, but results will vary based on the composition of the photograph.
Convert to Bitmap¶
Convert to Bitmap turns selected vector graphics into bitmap images. Once a vector graphic has been converted to a bitmap image, it is set to Image Mode and can be engraved using a dithered pattern.
For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.