Mastering LightBurn Photo Engraving Settings: Find the Perfect Setup

Few software tools are as powerful and user-friendly as LightBurn when it comes to laser engraving photos. If you're creating custom portraits, intricate landscape engravings, or artistic gifts, dialing in the right settings can make the difference between a blurry burn and a masterpiece.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to fine-tune your LightBurn photo engraving settings, focusing particularly on the different image modes. Understanding how these settings affect your results allows you to optimize every project for sharp, detailed, and professional-looking engravings.

Why Photo Engraving Requires Special Settings

Unlike basic text or vector engraving, photo engraving deals with thousands—even millions—of tiny shades and gradients. A laser can’t replicate every shade of gray naturally; it has to approximate them through methods like dithering and varying power output.

That’s why choosing the right resolution (DPI), power settings, speed, and image mode is critical. Each photo, material, and machine setup can demand different tweaks to achieve the best possible reproduction.

Key LightBurn Photo Engraving Settings to Understand

Before we get into image modes, let’s cover some of the basic settings you’ll need to tune:

• Speed: Engraving slower generally provides more detail, but too slow can cause excessive burning. A typical starting point is 200-400 mm/s for CO₂ lasers.
  

• Power: You’ll want lower power settings to avoid over-burning lighter parts of the image. Somewhere between 10%–30% is a common range for photo engraving.
  

• Lines Per Inch (LPI) / DPI: This controls how many laser lines per inch the engraving uses. 250–350 LPI is often a sweet spot for balancing detail and efficiency.
  

• Material Choice: Light woods like maple and birch tend to produce crisp photo engravings. Darker woods and inconsistent materials can obscure fine details.

Understanding LightBurn Image Modes

If you’re engraving photos or intricate images with a laser, you’re using bitmap data—pixel-based gfiles that must be translated into black-and-white instructions your laser can understand. 

How the software handles these pixels is critical: it directly affects the final look of your engraved photo, especially the contrast, level of detail, and smoothness of shading.

There are two main ways LightBurn (and other engraving software) processes bitmap images:

• Dithering Methods – Create gray tones by arranging black and white dots in specific patterns.
  

• Grayscale Mode – Adjust the laser’s power output based on the brightness of each pixel.

Let’s walk through each major image mode option, how it works, and when it’s the best choice for your engraving needs.

1. Threshold

This mode converts every pixel into either full black or full white based on a brightness threshold.

• Pros: Super fast, sharp edges, great for logos or stencils.
  

• Cons: No grayscale or shading—photographs will lose all nuance.
  

• Best for: Silhouettes, bold logos, or extremely high-contrast images.

2. Ordered (a.k.a. Bayer Dithering)

Uses a fixed grid-like matrix to simulate shades via patterned dots.

• Pros: Fast and consistent with minimal processing load.
  

• Cons: Creates visible grid patterns—less natural for photos.
  

• Best for: Stylized images, basic graphics, and decorative engraving.

3. Atkinson

Originally used in early computer graphics, this dithering method spreads tonal “error” among nearby pixels.

• Pros: Light, stylized look with a soft pixelated feel.
  

• Cons: Less depth for high-detail photos.
  

• Best for: Retro portraits, illustrations, and stylized artwork.

4. Dither (Floyd–Steinberg)

A classic dithering method that distributes grayscale errors across adjacent pixels.

• Pros: Crisp detail with a natural look; well-balanced for most materials.
  

• Cons: Slight grain in smooth gradients.
  

• Best for: Wood engraving, fast production portraits.

5. Stucki

A sharp, detail-friendly dithering algorithm similar to Jarvis but more contrast-heavy.

• Pros: Excellent for fine line clarity and sharp image features.
  

• Cons: May produce harsh contrast in subtle tonal areas.
  

• Best for: Logos, architectural engravings, or line drawings.

6. Jarvis

A well-rounded dithering technique that spreads errors widely, producing smooth gradients.

• Pros: Soft, photorealistic finish; excellent tone balancing.
  

• Cons: Slightly slower processing.
  

• Best for: High-quality photo engraving on wood, acrylic, or anodized metal.

7. Newsprint

Simulates halftone dots in a rotated grid pattern, reminiscent of old newspaper prints.

• Pros: Vintage, artistic look with consistent tones.
  

• Cons: Less detail fidelity than natural dithering.
  

• Best for: Pop art effects, magazine-style engravings, stylized portraits.

8. Halftone

Creates gray tones using dots of different sizes rather than dithering.

• Pros: Bold and stylish, with adjustable dot frequency.
  

• Cons: Can obscure fine details or smooth shading.
  

• Best for: Artistic projects, poster-style images, or patterned engravings.

9. Sketch

Reprocesses your image into line-art style shading, mimicking pencil drawings.

• Pros: Unique, creative aesthetic; especially appealing for art projects.
  

• Cons: Doesn’t capture real-life shading or gradients well.
  

• Best for: Portraits, illustrations, or engravings with an artistic flair.

10. Grayscale

Rather than dithering, this mode adjusts laser power dynamically based on pixel brightness.

• Pros: Smooth, continuous-tone shading with potential for depth control.
  

• Cons: Requires highly consistent materials and precise tuning; not ideal for variable woods.
  

• Best for: Leather, glass, or polished woods where tonal control is key.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Mode for Your Project

LightBurn’s image modes can dramatically change how a photo engraving turns out. Whether you want photorealism, stylized graphics, or bold artwork, the right mode depends on your material, photo style, and artistic intent.

• For realistic portraits, try Jarvis, Stucki, or Grayscale.
  

• For fast and bold results, go with Dither or Threshold.
  

• For creative flair, explore Newsprint, Sketch, or Halftone.

Remember: Every material and machine setup is slightly different. Always test on scrap pieces first to find the ideal settings for your project.

Other Tips for Better Photo Engraving in LightBurn

• Adjust Gamma and Contrast:
  Pre-edit your image to enhance contrast and darken midtones. LightBurn also offers in-program image editing.
  

• Focus Perfectly:
  Use proper Z-height adjustments or autofocus features to ensure the sharpest burn possible.
  

• Clean Your Material:
  Wipe down your wood, acrylic, or coated metal before engraving to ensure consistent burns.

Final Thoughts: Mastering Photo Engraving with LightBurn

Laser photo engraving might seem complicated at first, but once you understand the impact of speed, power, resolution, and especially image mode, you’ll find it’s one of the most rewarding types of laser work. Every project becomes a balance between sharpness, smooth shading, and depth.

Whether you’re preserving family memories, selling custom portraits, or creating one-of-a-kind gifts, LightBurn’s powerful settings give you total control over your final product.

Ready to Start Engraving with LightBurn?

Most OMTech CO₂ laser engravers are fully compatible with LightBurn, giving you complete control over your photo engraving settings. Whether you're crafting family portraits or scaling up your business, OMTech's lineup of reliable, precision laser machines is designed to help you achieve professional results every time.

Explore OMTech’s LightBurn-ready CO₂ laser engravers today and start bringing your creative visions to life!