PHOTO PREPARATION GUIDE · RASTERGO
Photo to laser engraving: a pre-flight checklist
Updated October 2026 · Free browser tool · photos stay on your device
Run the same short checklist before every job: physical size set, DPI matched, crop and tone judged at final size, one dithering step only, export verified on import, test piece first.
The checklist
- Size: physical width and height in millimetres, then DPI. Pixels = round(mm ÷ 25.4 × DPI).
- Crop: subject fills the frame; small faces lose detail on coarse materials.
- Tone: adjust while comparing against the original at final size.
- Dithering: exactly one conversion step in the whole pipeline.
- Export: PNG (or batch ZIP), no watermark, verified pixel dimensions.
- Import: confirm physical size and image mode in the laser software.
- Test: run a small test piece with the same settings before the real item.
What this checklist cannot replace
File preparation is one part of the result. Power, speed, focus, air assist, material batch and cleanliness decide the rest, and they are machine-side. We do not publish power or speed values because an untested recipe is worse than no recipe.
Feedback we want
RasterGo is a free beta. If a step in this checklist still forces you to work manually, that is the most useful thing you can tell us.
RasterGo prepares image files in your browser. Material previews are labelled digital simulations, not photographs of engraved pieces, and no power, speed or physical result is promised.