How-to: Laser Engraving Photo

I want to tell you how we engrave photos on a laser machine. After various tests, trial and error, born algorithm that allows you to get good quality engraving.

Step 1: Excellent Quality Photo

Use photo only excellent quality.
Open in Adobe Photoshop.

Step 2: Crop Photo

Crop photo as you need. Crop Tool (C)

Step 3: Remove Background

Carefully remove background.
Use Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) Feather 0px, Anti-alias.
Make a white background, merge layers (Ctrl+E)

Step 4: Convert Photo to Grayscale

Image > Mode > Grayscale

Step 5: Edit Photo

Large dark areas of photos light.
The intensity of black color on face should be 10-15%.
The eyes should be almost white. Black 3-6%.
Light hair strands create more light. Dodge Tool (O) Range: Highlights.
Dark hair strands darken. Burn Tool (O) Range: Shadows.

Step 6: Image Size

Resolution: 200 pixels/cm (508 pixels/inch)

Step 7: Sharpen

Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask
Amount: 200 % Radius: 1 pixels Threshold: 0 levels.

Make sharper eye, eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, hair using Sharpen Tool.

Step 8: Convert Image to Bitmap

Image > Mode > Bitmap
Output: 200 pixels/cm (508 pixels/inch)
Method: Halftone Screen Frequency: 200 lines/cm (508 lines/inch)
Angle: 15 degrees
Shape: Round

Save As Format: BMP File
Format: Windows
Depth: 1 Bit

Step 9: Eye

Cut a piece of image for tests.
Eye - the best choice

Step 10: Laser Program

Import BMP image to RDWorks (or other your laser program).

Wood fibers should be parallel to the long axis (X).
Image as well.
Rotate image 90 degrees if necessary.

Set parameters for engrave
Parameters for 40 watt power laser (Program: RDCAM)
Speed(mm/s): 300 Max
Power(%): 20
Interval(mm): 0.05

Material: solid birch, plywood birch
Speed and power must be chosen by experimentation.

Step 11: Video

We use plywood birch in main.
It is accessible and cheap material.
Sand the plywood and cover it with varnish.
After engraving, wipe product with damp sponge to remove the soot and dust.

Step 12: Result

Good luck!

More designs for laser cutting and engraving:
http://cartonus.com/

Comments

[StevenH249]

Very much interested would like to purchase one need contact number

[rwhart3675]

I'm afraid you lost me on Step 8. Converting to bitmap is easy the remainder of the parts of this step left me hanging. Can you elucidate?

Thanks for your time.

[hassangheysari0118]

Can you help me engrave a picture on Clear Acrylic?

[mjones0731]

I want to laser engrave a high res photo of animals on to the backs of cell phone cases. The backs are composed of cherry wood. The space on the cherry would I have to work with is about 2 x 3 inches. Any suggestions as to how to get a quality engraving? 30 watt epilog laser engraver. Corel Draw. I am attaching photos of a few tests. Thanks for any advice. I get my photos from Shutterstock and Depositphotos.

[ChaoticCreations]

Cherry isn't the best to engrave on. Better to use goid quality plywood or basswood

[ponnukalaim]

sir
can we make laser engraving of of a above photo in metal surface?

[82L]

Are you apply varnish before engraving?

[pennypatters]

What is the lest expensive machine I can use to do photo engraving?

[amiir]

hi. i have 100Watt CO2 Laser Machine and use RDWorks and RDCam softwares.
what is the correct parameters for me ?

i also have 50Watt Fiber Laser (Marking Laser)
it use EZCad as software.
can you please help me engrave a photo with co2 on wood and with fiber on steel?

[petrospot]

hello! im using trotec jobcontrol and i cannot open a BMP file directly. I can open it with illustrator and then send it to the jobcontrol but i followed all the instructions and the result had not so much detail (a lot of black)

[Tiredasz]

what thickness plywood did you use in the video engraving the photo?

[paramd612]

my image can not be opened in corel draw

[LuciaDes]

Corel draw is a vector software, you need photo editing/illustration software like corel photo paint, photoshop, etc

[refamat]

When I was in a company which made the original talking chess game. It was common to buy "barrel" lots of components. It costs money to test a component and while manufacturing processes are good the product still needs to be tested. Manufacturers can buy untested lots to cut costs and test the finished circuit themselves. Any that do not work are rejected for recycling. Same with cables.

[BrianR303]

Which laser etcher do you recommend? I have been interested in doing this for a few years.

[Harrisgirl]

HI! What kind of laser machine you use?

[pentatonickc]

After making the coloured picture to a grayscale, how do i know the actual resolution i should use when changing to bitmap (from IMAGE MENU - MODE - BITMAP). How do i determine that based on the size of my picture?

[Trotec Laser Canada]

amazing photo on wood!

[stevenevans]

Hi

Thank you for the help just a few small questions

what must the resolution be and must it be netgraphic,dotgraphic,grayscale

Thx this will help alot in RDWorks

[GhazalS]

What kind of machine do I need to buy to print photos on a wood ?