Wood & plywood
Judge tonal separation against a light, medium or dark grain.
PHOTO LAB BY SPECIALISED
Photo engraving software.
Make the detail count.
Turn a photograph into a carefully prepared laser engraving image, straight from your browser.
Adjust the tones, preserve useful detail and choose how the dots fall. Compare the original, the dithered bitmap and a material preview before you export.
Free browser preview · No account needed
Hosted by Specialised Laser Systems. Images processed on your device.
PHOTO LAB.TONES → DOTS → MATERIAL
The wood view is an illustrative material simulation.
Open PNG, JPEG, BMP & WebPChoose dimensions & DPIExport one-bit BMP or PNG
FROM PHOTOGRAPH TO ENGRAVING
Prepare the image.
Keep control of the result.
A simple photo preparation workflow for personalised gifts, workshop projects and classroom making.
- 01 / SIZE
Start at the finished size.
Open your image, crop or rotate it, then set the engraving width and DPI. Working at the intended output size helps you judge which details will survive.
- 02 / REFINE
Bring out the detail.
Balance brightness, contrast and midtones. Lift shadows, control highlights and apply local contrast or gentle sharpening before dithering.
- 03 / DITHER
Find the right dots.
Compare Stucki, Floyd–Steinberg and ordered dithering, or use a solid threshold. Adjust dot scale and density; inspect at 100% to see the output pixels.
- 04 / EXPORT
Take it to your laser.
Export a monochrome BMP or PNG with your chosen dimensions and resolution. Open it in a compatible laser workflow and set the machine’s engraving parameters there.
Image preparation, without changing your machine.
Photo Lab is a standalone tool for preparing raster artwork. You do not need a Kent controller upgrade to try it. Use the exported bitmap with software that supports its format, check the imported dimensions and avoid applying a second dither where your laser software offers a pass-through option.
PHOTO ENGRAVING ON WOOD, ACRYLIC & MORE
See the photograph
on a different surface.
Explore light, medium and dark wood, clear and coloured acrylic, slate, leather and anodised aluminium.
Compare the dithered artwork with a simulated engraved result. Adjust the surface appearance, or upload a photo of your own material to preview the image against its actual grain or texture.
Invert the image for surfaces that engrave light. Use the separate mirror control when preparing artwork for rear engraving on clear acrylic.
The material view is a visual guide, not a prediction of laser output. Test a small sample with your material, focus, speed and power settings.
Clear & coloured acrylic
Explore light engraved marks, inversion and mirrored artwork.
Slate & other surfaces
Compare a light mark on a dark base, or use your own surface photograph.
DETAIL BEFORE DOTS
A clearer starting point.
Local contrast and tone controls help reveal useful features before converting the image to black and white. Zoom in to judge the pixels, then zoom out to judge the whole picture.
SETTINGS THAT STAY
Return to your setup.
Last-used settings are remembered in the same browser. Save named presets for repeat work, and export a backup. Reopen the source photograph when you return.
YOUR IMAGES, YOUR DEVICE
Work in your browser.
No account or software installation is needed for the browser preview. Artwork and material photographs are processed locally on your device, without uploading them to a server.
PHOTO LAB EXPLAINED
Before your first engraving.
What does image dithering do for laser engraving?
Dithering represents shades of grey with a pattern of black and white dots. Those dots form a monochrome engraving bitmap. The pattern, output resolution and dot scale affect how tones and fine details appear.
Is Photo Lab free to use?
The current browser preview is free to try without an account. You can prepare your image, explore material simulations and export the resulting bitmap. Open Photo Lab using the links on this page; the application is hosted on the Specialised Laser website.
Can I prepare photos for engraving on wood, acrylic or slate?
Yes. Photo Lab provides image adjustments, inversion and material previews to help prepare artwork for these surfaces. The correct engraving settings still depend on your laser and material. A test engraving is the best way to confirm the final result.
Does Photo Lab control the laser or choose power and speed?
No. It prepares and exports the image. Choose power, speed and machine operation in your laser software. If you also need vector drawing, explore Forma2D; for a new workflow on an existing machine, see our controller upgrades.
TRY YOUR NEXT PHOTOGRAPH
From pixels to possibilities.
Open the free browser preview and start preparing your laser engraving image.