PHOTO PREPARATION GUIDE · RASTERGO
Preparing a photo for wood engraving
Updated October 2026 · Free browser tool · photos stay on your device
Wood burns darker where the laser hits, and the grain adds its own pattern on top of your image. Prepare the photo with slightly reduced contrast, keep the subject clear of heavy grain, and test power and speed on a scrap of the same board.
Grain is part of the image
Every board has a figure that competes with the photo. Light woods (birch, maple) carry detail better; dark or strongly figured woods swallow shadow detail. Prepare the image knowing that the wood will add contrast you did not ask for.
Preparation steps
- Set the physical size and DPI before any tonal work, so you judge the image at its real output size.
- Crop tight. Background detail on wood turns muddy quickly.
- Keep contrast moderate: wood already darkens the result.
- Mask with transfer tape or paper if you want cleaner edges and less char to clean afterwards.
What the tool cannot tell you
RasterGo prepares pixels. Power, speed, focus and air assist belong to your machine and material, and they vary between boards of the same species. We do not publish a power or speed recipe, because a recipe that is not tested on your machine is a guess. Run a step test on scrap from the same board.
Common mistakes
- Judging contrast on a bright screen and engraving a much darker result.
- Preparing at screen size and then scaling in laser software, which resamples twice.
- Assuming the same settings work on plywood, MDF and solid hardwood.
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.