Is PhotoEngraving.online free?

Yes. PhotoEngraving.online is free to use in your browser. You can convert an image or photo to a laser-ready PNG or 1-bit BMP without installing software.

What does PhotoEngraving.online do?

PhotoEngraving.online converts photos into black-and-white raster images prepared for laser engraving. It includes crop, brightness, contrast, gamma, sharpness, dithering, DPI, real-size output and material preview controls.

Which laser software can use the exported files?

The exported PNG and 1-bit BMP files can be imported into LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL, EZCAD and similar laser engraving software that supports raster images.

Does the exported PNG include DPI information?

Yes. The exported PNG includes DPI metadata to help laser software keep the correct physical engraving size.

Are uploaded photos sent to a server?

No. Photos are processed locally in the browser. The uploaded image is not sent to the PhotoEngraving.online server.

Can I use a custom DPI value?

Yes. You can choose preset DPI values or enter a custom DPI value for your laser, material and preferred line spacing.

What output format should I use for laser engraving?

PNG is recommended for most laser software. The 1-bit BMP export is useful when your workflow or laser software prefers a strict black-and-white bitmap.

Convert image to laser engraving online free

Q: Which materials can I preview?

The material preview can approximate wood, slate, dark anodized or coated surfaces, stainless steel and leather. It is a visual guide only; real laser results depend on the material and laser settings.

Upload an image or photo and turn it into a laser-ready black-and-white PNG or 1-bit BMP. Set the real engraving size, choose DPI, adjust brightness, contrast, gamma and sharpness, preview common materials and export for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL or EZCAD. Free to use. Your image is processed locally in your browser and is not uploaded to our server.

ORIGINAL

→

OUTPUT

Start right away with the demo photo or

Crop Photo

Photo Adjustments

Brightness

Contrast

Gamma

1.00

Sharpness

0.0

Material Preview laser power

Adjusts only the Material Preview to simulate weaker or stronger laser marks. Higher power can darken the mark; burnable materials may also show more edge spread. The exported PNG/BMP stays unchanged.

Photo Type

Normal Photo

Negative

Dark Photo

Light Photo

Default is Normal Photo. Choose Negative for an inverted output, or fine-tune everything with the sliders below.

Dithering

Floyd-Steinberg

Atkinson

Jarvis

Ordered / Bayer

Floyd-Steinberg is the balanced choice. Atkinson is softer, Jarvis is smoother with more tones, and Ordered/Bayer creates a regular pattern (suitable for logos and graphics).

Output

Image width

Enter the real engraving width in millimeters.

Resolution (DPI)

Changing DPI keeps the same physical size and recalculates the pixel count.

Advanced: adjust width in pixels

Width in pixels

1000 px

Advanced control. Changing pixels recalculates the width in mm for the selected DPI.

Size in mm

—

Pixel size

—

PNG is recommended for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL and other laser software. PNG and 1-bit BMP include DPI metadata for the correct physical size in laser software.

Free image to laser engraving converter online

Use PhotoEngraving.online as a free image to laser engraving converter directly in your browser. Upload a photo or image, convert it to a laser-ready black-and-white PNG or 1-bit BMP, choose photo type and DPI, check recommended engraving speed by material, adjust brightness, contrast, gamma and sharpness, then download the result for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL, EZCAD and similar laser software.

Free online tool

No installation needed. Convert photos for laser engraving online and download the PNG for free.

Laser-ready output

Export black-and-white PNG or BMP files with DPI metadata and engraving speed guidance for the correct physical size in laser software.

Private browser processing

Your photo is processed locally in your browser and is not uploaded to our server.

What is PhotoEngraving.online?

PhotoEngraving.online is a free browser-based image to laser engraving converter. It converts photos into laser-ready black-and-white PNG or 1-bit BMP files with DPI metadata for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL, EZCAD and similar laser software.

Who is this laser engraving converter for?

This tool is made for makers, laser engraving users and small workshops that need to prepare photos for engraving on wood, plywood, slate, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, leather and other materials before importing the file into laser software.

PNG or BMP for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL and EZCAD

Export PNG for most workflows, or 1-bit BMP when you need a strict black-and-white bitmap. Both exports include DPI metadata so the physical size is easier to keep consistent in laser software.

About this tool

PhotoEngraving.online was created for users who need a simple way to prepare photos for laser engraving without installing desktop software. The editor runs locally in the browser, supports real size in millimeters, custom DPI, dithering, material preview and exports ready for common laser engraving programs. Last updated: July 2026.

What does this tool do?

Photo Engraving Online converts a regular photo into a rasterized black-and-white image optimized for CO2 or diode laser engraving. You can then import the resulting PNG directly into your laser software (LightBurn, LaserGRBL, XCS, etc.) and engrave it.

Recommended DPI by material

DPI	Best for	Engraving speed
254 DPI ✓	Soft wood and plywood, MDF, slate, stone	fast
300 DPI	Wood, plywood, slate, HDF, plastic	medium
508 DPI	Acrylic, laminates, coated metals, anodized aluminum, stainless steel	slow

Step-by-step guide

Upload a photo

Drag the file into the upload area or click to choose it from your device. Supported formats are JPG, PNG, BMP and WebP. For best results, use a sharp photo with good contrast.

Choose photo type and dithering

Start with Normal Photo, Negative, People, Dark Photo or Light Photo. Then choose the dithering pattern: Floyd-Steinberg is a balanced default, Atkinson is softer, Jarvis keeps smoother tones, and Ordered/Bayer is useful for graphic, regular-dot looks.

Tune the image and Material Preview

Adjust brightness, contrast, gamma and sharpness while checking Original + Output. Use Material Preview for wood, slate, dark anodized surfaces, stainless steel or leather, then move Material Preview laser power to roughly simulate weaker or stronger laser marks before testing on real material.

Set size, DPI and export

Enter the real engraving width in millimeters, choose 254, 300, 508 or Custom DPI, and watch the pixel count update. If the preview looks right, download PNG or 1-bit BMP with DPI metadata and import it into your laser software.

How to choose the correct output size?

The output size in mm should exactly match the real physical size of the engraving area on your material.

Example: If you want to engrave a portrait on a wooden plate with a width of 80 mm , set the width to 80 mm and choose 254 DPI . The tool will create an image about 800 px wide. Changing DPI keeps the same physical size but recalculates the pixel count, and the advanced pixel-width control can fine-tune the final raster when your laser software needs an exact pixel size.

ℹ️ Formula: width in px = (width in mm ÷ 25.4) × DPI

Tips for better results

Input photo quality

Use sharp, evenly lit photos with visible detail in the face, object or texture. Crop away empty background before dithering so the laser-ready pixels focus on the important area.

Preview before engraving

Switch between Original + Output, Output and Material Preview. The material simulation is approximate, but the preview power slider helps you check how the same file might look with lighter or darker laser settings before you export.

Test engraving

Always test on an offcut of the same material. Real results still depend on laser type, focus, lens, speed, power, coating and the exact surface.

Laser software settings

Import the PNG or BMP as Passthrough or Threshold . The dithering is already included in the file, so additional image processing may make it worse. Use the embedded DPI metadata or manually set the same physical width if your software ignores metadata.

Photo engraving FAQ

Is this photo to laser engraving converter free?

Yes. The tool is free to use in your browser. You can convert a photo to a laser engraving PNG and download the result without installing software.

Which laser software can use the exported PNG?

The PNG output is suitable for LightBurn, XCS, LaserGRBL, EZCAD and other laser engraving software that imports raster images.

Does the PNG include DPI information?

Yes. The exported PNG includes DPI metadata, which helps laser software keep the correct physical engraving size.

Can I use my own DPI value?

Yes. You can choose a preset DPI or enter a custom DPI value for your laser, material and preferred line spacing.

What does Negative do?

Negative creates an inverted output by swapping black and white in the final laser-ready image.

Are my photos uploaded to a server?

No. Photos are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded to our server.

Which materials can I preview?

You can preview wood, slate, dark anodized or coated surfaces, stainless steel and leather. The preview is approximate and should always be verified with a test engraving.

Should I export PNG or BMP for laser engraving?

PNG is recommended for most laser software. Use 1-bit BMP when your workflow needs a strict black-and-white bitmap.

What DPI should I use for photo engraving?

Start with 254 DPI for wood, plywood, MDF, slate and stone, 300 DPI for general use, and 508 DPI for finer materials such as acrylic, laminates and coated metals.