Laser Engraving A Photo | Full Guide

laser engraving of kevin pommells and malachai pommells

What is laser engraving?

Laser engraving is the process of having a laser beam interact with the surface of certain materials. This laser beam is blasted at the surface of a material at different temperatures to create different marks and etches in the material.

What is photo engraving?

Photo engraving is the process of engraving a photo onto different surfaces such as wood or . I will be providing a full guide on how to create the perfect photo engraving on wood and other materials.

Applications of photo engraving

Before you decide what to do with your photo in regards to laser engraving it, there are a couple things you have to keep in mind.

  • Choosing the right photo

The photo you choose should be of the highest quality. You should also ensure that it has good contrast.

  • Avoid Large Solid Areas

This is very simple. The aim of avoiding large solid areas simply means to avoid sections in your images such as walls or large open areas that are just one solid color.

  • Focus on the Subject

Focusing on the subject just simply means you should try to have the main aspect of your image be more pronounced. This can be someone's face or a car that you love.

My Photo

Kevin Pommells

You have seen the laser engraving in the main image in this article. Those are laser engravings of me and my son. Creating these engravings on canvas is amazing and I have learned the exact methods needed to accomplish these results. Follow my youtube channel for a video tutorial.

You can create awesome photo laser engraving with the right knowhow.

Continue below to find out how to prepare your photo for laser engraving.

Preparing Your Photo for Engraving

  • Software needed (e.g., photo editing software)

You can use different types of software to prepare your images for laser engraving. I will list some of them below.

*A. Gimp*

*B. Adobe Photoshop*

*C. Lightburn*

*D. Imag-R*

  • Converting your photo to grayscale

Almost all image editors allow you to convert your image to grayscale. Grayscale is usually chosen for photo engravings as it allows for better quality output.

  • Adjusting contrast and brightness

Adjusting the brightness of your photo will allow you to choose which section of your photo gets engraved more than others.

  • Removing background

Removing the background of an image will cut down on the engraving time that your laser will need to do.

  • Choosing the right resolution (DPI) for engraving

Dpi is known as the dots per inch that an image has. The more dots per inch that an image has, the higher the quality. It is usually best when an image only has about 300 Dpi when engraving on certain materials like wood.

  • Test your image on a scrap piece of material

When you have your image ready to be engraved, I would not advise you to go straight into engraving on the best piece of material that you have. I would rather you engrave on a piece of scrap to see how the image would come out. This way, if the engraving doesn't go as planned, you will have enough information on which settings might need to be changed.

Safety Precautions

Whenever you start an engraving, you will first need to take all safety precautions necessary. Working with laser engravers is not all fun and games. People can really get hurt. So please keep all safety precautions in mind.

  • Wear laser safety glasses.
  • Use gloves and appropriate PPE.
  • Allow only trained personnel operate the machine.
  • Keep enclosure closed during operation.

Do not skip any of these precautions.

Post Engraving

  • Cleaning the engraved surface

Depending on the type of material you engraved on, you might need to clean off the surface. This can be soot or any other debris that's ;eft over from the engraving procedure.

  • Adding finishing touches (paint, stain, etc., if desired)

If you engrave on wood, you will sometimes have to add stain or paint to finish the look you want.

Troubleshooting Your Engraving

Whenever you do different engravings on different types of materials, some might not come out the way you really want it. That is why I cannot emphasize practicing on scrap pieces of material first.

Some examples of engravings you may want to troubleshoot are:

  • Blurry Engravings
  • Uneven Engravings

Conclusion

Engraving a photo is not a difficult process as long as you know the process which I went over in this article. Please share any information on any development in the field that you know about. I will read all emails sent.

Remember to follow all safety precautions.

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