Laser Engraving Ceramic Tiles on the Ray5 20W
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Ceramic tiles are cheap, flat, and produce impressive engraving results. Diode lasers work best on glazed dark tiles.
Tile Selection
| Tile Type | Result |
|---|---|
| Dark glazed ceramic | Best — glaze ablates cleanly, high contrast |
| White glazed | Works but low contrast — engrave darker with more power |
| Matte/unglazed | Poor — inconsistent surface, little contrast |
| Porcelain | Good on glazed varieties |
The laser removes the glaze layer, revealing lighter material underneath.
Settings
| Tile Color | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black/dark | 1500 mm/min | 70% | 1 |
| Brown/mid | 1200 mm/min | 80% | 1 |
| White/light | 800 mm/min | 90% | 1–2 |
The Dish Soap Trick
For better engraving on light tiles:
- Apply a thin coat of liquid dish soap to the tile surface
- Let dry to a film (5 minutes)
- Engrave through the soap film
- Wipe off residue after engraving
- The soap absorbs more energy, improving mark depth and contrast
Works especially well on white tiles.
LightBurn Settings
- Mode: Fill for solid areas, Line for vectors
- Line interval: 0.1mm for smooth fills
- Bi-directional: ON for speed
Sealing
After engraving:
- Wipe tile clean
- Apply a thin coat of spray polyurethane or tile sealer to protect the engraved surface
- This prevents the lighter exposed material from absorbing dirt over time
Photo Engraving on Tiles
Use Jarvis or Stucki mode. High contrast photos on dark glazed tiles = excellent results. Convert to grayscale and increase contrast before importing to LightBurn.