How should I prepare an image for laser engraving?
ForEducators · Students
Updated 8 October 2026Sources checked · Not externally reviewed
Short answer
Start with the highest-quality source you can legally use, crop it to the needed composition, and set its final physical size before judging detail. Adjust tonal range so important features remain distinct, then use the laser software’s supported grayscale, threshold, or dithering method. In LightBurn, the widest line interval that still leaves no gaps between lines shortens the job with no loss in quality; testing on your laser and material finds that spacing.
Set the final size before you judge detail, and let the test on the real material have the last word. Processing choices depend on what your laser software supports.
Preview the processed image and run a small test on the exact approved material before the real job. Keep the original image and save edits as a separate version. For student work, record the image source and permission or license as part of the submission.
Sources
LightBurn Software (laser control software documentation, 2.2 release-candidate edition)Image ModeSays the widest line interval that leaves no gaps between lines shortens the job with no loss in quality, and that the right interval is found by testing on the laser and material. It gives no universal setting. Documentation for the 2.2 release candidate of one laser-control program. Link checked October 2026.
Sources are checked by Laser TeamWork, not by an outside expert. General guidance: your machine’s manual and your school’s procedures come first. Report a correction.
Next step
Design and file preparation
The file skills that decide whether a job runs: vectors and rasters, file types, strokes and fills, text as paths, scale, and preflight.