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Thread: Any advice for etching a picture in wood?

  1. #1

    Any advice for etching a picture in wood?

    I have a job to etch a picture of two boys into wood. I got the job off of the customer looking at what i did on marble, Im not at all sure of what i need to do to the pic to get it to come out like it does on marble. I have made a few modifications and gave a test run on sample wood and it looked horrible, i either get the skin to show and everything else to be so dark its no longer a surface etching, or the shirts show up fine but its just a set of floating eyes with a mouth for the head. Im attaching the pic, if anyone can help i would love to hear any advice
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Kern 150wat HSE 50x52 table.

  2. #2
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    What wood/finish are you engraving? When worse comes to worse you can use Photo Paint to mask areas and adjust the brightness-contrast in specific parts of a photo. Had to do that recently with a wedding photo that didn't have good tonal range.
    Tom Bull
    Epilog Legend, x3,X5, photograv, 30 year collection of misc. tools of all kinds.

  3. #3
    useing maple that was been glued together to make a head board. I will trying the masking trick. thanks
    Kern 150wat HSE 50x52 table.

  4. #4
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    Also, be aware that you are not going to get nearly the same resolution you did with marble. Figure something in the 200dpi range is about right for a really tight grain wood, possibly closer to 125-150dpi for an open grain...
    Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

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  5. #5
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    Try this attached file and see how it looks. Just do the normal settings for wood and see how you get on. I processed the image through photograv so it might be a little better. I had to darken the clothing on the boy in the dark shirt because that was very blotchy mainly because the picture has been overworked. If you are still having problems you can pm me and I will see if I can do better from the original pictures.
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    Epilog 45w Helix X3/X5 Corel Microflame Generator (flame polisher) Heat Bender


  6. #6
    worked perfect thanks
    Kern 150wat HSE 50x52 table.

  7. #7
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    ......Cool
    Epilog 45w Helix X3/X5 Corel Microflame Generator (flame polisher) Heat Bender


  8. #8
    You always are, Frank!

    dee
    Epilog Mini 18/25w & 35w, Mac and Vaio, Corel x3, typical art toys, airbrush... I'm a Laserhead, my husband is a Neanderthal - go figure

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  9. #9
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    That's nice to hear Andy. I'm glad it did the trick.
    Epilog 45w Helix X3/X5 Corel Microflame Generator (flame polisher) Heat Bender


  10. #10
    It worked great Franks, thanks a ton. You helped me out alot. Thought you might like to know the guys reaction was to cry when he seen the peice. So im beating you made his day tooo!!!!!
    Kern 150wat HSE 50x52 table.

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