Image Processing
Prepare photographs and bitmap artwork for laser engraving with resolution, contrast, dithering, inversion and scan-quality workflows.
Mask, crop or convert to bitmap: choose the right image operation
Keep edits reversible when possible and know exactly when LightBurn turns vectors into fixed pixels.
Image Banding: Mechanical, Electrical or Processing?
Regular stripes can come from mechanics, power modulation, scan interval interaction or source-image patterns; their spacing is a useful diagnostic clue.
Photo Engraving Test Workflow Before the Final Piece
A small crop containing skin, highlights, shadows and fine detail is more useful for tuning than repeatedly engraving the full photo.
Scan Angle and Crosshatch: When a Second Direction Helps
Changing scan angle can follow material grain or geometry; crosshatch adds another pass direction and therefore more energy/time.
Overscanning and Dark Edges in Raster Engraving
Overscanning lets the head accelerate before firing across the image so the engraved region is closer to commanded scan speed at the edges.
Choosing a Dither: Jarvis, Stucki, Atkinson and More
Dither algorithms distribute black dots differently; the “best” choice depends on image texture, physical resolution, material and laser spot behavior.
Negative Image, Invert and Invert Display
A display inversion can be only a preview aid, while Negative Image changes how pixel brightness maps to output. Understand which operation changes data and which changes only the view.
Isolating a Subject From a Difficult Background
Bright backgrounds, shadows and reflections can compete with the subject in engraving; isolate or mask the important content before tuning laser settings.
Image Preflight: Pixels, Physical Size and Line Interval
A photo can look sharp on screen but have too few pixels for the final engraving size, or far more pixels than the laser can physically reproduce.
Image Resolution vs Line Interval: Stop Chasing Impossible DPI
Match source detail and scan spacing to the physical laser spot and material instead of assuming more DPI always means more detail.
Trace Image: Convert Bitmap Artwork into Editable Vectors
Use tracing for logos and line artwork while controlling threshold and cleanup so the result does not become a forest of unnecessary nodes.
Threshold vs Grayscale: Choose the Right Image Interpretation
Know when a black/white decision is appropriate and when preserving tonal variation is essential to the engraving.
Dithering Modes: Turning Gray Tones into Laser-Friendly Dot Patterns
Understand why different dithering algorithms distribute on/off dots differently and why there is no single best mode for every photo or material.
Adjust Image: Brightness, Contrast and Gamma
Use LightBurn's image controls to shape tonal information before engraving without confusing image processing with laser power.
Image Engraving Workflow: Five Decisions That Matter
A practical order for preparing photo engravings: material response, Speed/Power, interval, image processing and Preview.
Line Interval and DPI: Why More DPI Is Not Always Better
Learn what scan-line spacing changes, why excessive density can hurt quality, and how the Interval Test finds a practical value.