Implementing Grayscale Engraving on CO2 Lasers

The Advantage of CO2 for Grayscale

While diode lasers often rely on dithering, high-end CO2 laser controllers (like Ruida) can vary their power dynamically based on the input grayscale value, creating true depth in materials like wood, slate, and acrylic.

Workflow

1. Open your grayscale image (0-255 values). 2. In your laser software, select 'Grayscale' or 'Power Scaling' mode. 3. Map the minimum (black) and maximum (white) power: e.g., 10% Min, 80% Max. 4. When engraving, the laser controller will rapidly modulate the tube current to match the pixel luminosity, producing 256 levels of shade/depth.

Related Guides

• Grayscale Engraving with Power Scaling
• Mastering Photographic Engraving on Wood: Dithering and DPI
• How to Engrave Glass, Slate, and Stone with a Laser Using Marking Compounds
• How to V-Carve Inlays and Precision Signs on a Desktop CNC Router
• How to Use LightBurn for Production: Complete Workflow from Design to Cut
• How to Prepare Photos for Laser Engraving with GIMP: Dithering, Halftones, and Grayscale
• How to Engrave Cylindrical Objects with a Laser Rotary Attachment
• LightBurn Complete Guide: Interface, Layers, and Workflow