Problems with engraving photos

[Larry Bratton]

I know there is a setting in photopaint where you can change the dithering. If you go to "Image" then click on "Convert to Black and White" there is a drop down box where you can change the dithering. I would say its best to experiment with different settings to achieve the best quality.

Floyd Steinburg or Jarvis works with most everything
Here is a YouTube video by our own Roy Brewer that shows how to prep photos in Corel Draw and Corel Photopaint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yllZTBA0HO0

[Bea Prince]

I thank you all for your help. I couldn't imagine that I'll get so many replies. I will try everything but with granite my problem is that I don't use convenient material. Miguel helped me to figure this out.
I'll post my result as soon as I have some

[Larry Bratton]

Bea,
Granite is particularly difficult to get good results. Lower power and fast speeds will prevent overpowering. I run black granite on my 40watt epilog at 40p/100s. 300dpi is plenty. Contrast is important also. You need to invert your image with any black background. Unsharp mask filter is very helpful also. I usually color fill granite by rubbing in Wintons Artist Oil Titanium White as it won't produce the same white that you get with marble. Good luck!

[Bea Prince]

Dear all,

First of all I wish you all a blessed and happy New Year.
Sorry for coming back so late with my results but I needed time to have some I'm still not satisfied especially with the photo on granite but I still don't have the right material.
I'm curious what your opinions will be

[Dan Hintz]

Bea,

The white tile looks "okay", but I would probably darken it up just a bit... the contrast is pretty decent.

The black tile could use a bit more contrast in the hair, but it would really perk up if you feathered the edge of the oval... hard edges take away from the image inside.

A very strong start, though... keep it up.

[Bea Prince]

Bea,

The white tile looks "okay", but I would probably darken it up just a bit... the contrast is pretty decent.

The black tile could use a bit more contrast in the hair, but it would really perk up if you feathered the edge of the oval... hard edges take away from the image inside.

A very strong start, though... keep it up.

Thanks for your remarks Dan. The white tile its darker, I took the photo in dark and it became lighter because of the flash.
With the black tile: I tried to use more contrast on his hair but he looked so strange after that, as an old man. Can you give me any tips to get the right result?
And thanks, hope this thing will get better an better with every photo

[John Noell]

Bea, I think your results are quite good. With photos, every material requires different settings and the exact settings needed for best results can be very tricky to determine!

[Gregor Irsic]

PS: Please forgive me for my poor English, I'm from Hungary.

Hi neighbour!

I'm from Slovenia and I'm deciding to purchase laser my self and JQ 4030 is one of my favorites.
So can you share your experiences with you machine (pros and cons)
Maybe post some pics of it.

I'd be very thankful for any kind of info.


P.S.: Where from Hungary are you, I'm often close to the border and maybe we could share experiences.
You could PM me.

[lucas kreft]

laser etch this black to white gradient on your material as a sample. please crop so its thinner and you don't waste more energy than you need to.
print the exact image, then tape it beside your etched gradient. you will now be able to look at black and white images and compare what colors will and will not laser.
tweak the contrast levels until you are confident
bw.jpg

also please put white artists oil paint on the granite after you etch. it will POP out even more and you will love it.
this is what I used and got a local art store. This is just one of the many brands that are around. I don't know what is available at your location.
in my personal experience when granite is etched, it just looks gray to me, so white oil paint is the key for me! Apply a tiny bit on your tile with a cloth in a curricular motion, wait a minute then buff the tile clean where it is un=etched.

You will see many different types of white paint, go for titanium white. The tubes of paint wil; have many different numbers on it like 10, 20, 25, 40 etc.. from what i remember, go for the higher numbers??? the lower numbers are a cheaper grade of paint. can someone else please verify about what the numbers represent on a tube of artists paint?

you also want to have the right type of material. there are many types of granite. try to go for really fine granite that doesnt have a lot of large crystals.
I stay away from this
This is what I like

[Dan Hintz]

If you use Lucas' gradient, put some tick marks in there to designate major color values (I'd suggest every 10-15 value increases), or split it into clearly designated boxes. The human mind has issue separating specific color values in a smooth gradient like that, so matching up the color on the tile without reference points will likely not match up with what you choose in a pic.

[Michael Headrick]

Lucas - thank you very much for the tip on using the oil paint on etched granite! I'm just learning the art, and you were right - the extra contrast is very nice. Even more, though, I had been getting very frustrated with my granite showing every single time someone picked it up. It seemed that the first thing they would do would feel the etched portion with the tip of their finger, and within minutes of giving it to a customer it would be covered in little oil spots. This paint seems to have eliminated that problem nicely!

[Allen Isakson]

Marko not sure what chinese machine you have, but I have a 60 watt chinese machine and i do photos at 700 speed with outstanding details.

[Frank Corker]

The black granite tile has been hit with too much power, you can tell by the very visible natural stone underneath. In order to get a good result on granite, you only need etch the surface, too much and it will obliterate it (as you have done). The other item has turned out fine though.

[Bill Cunningham]

One little tip that will save you a lot of grief.. If your adding oil paint, before you do, hose the granite off with a good strong steam of water. This will wash off all the little granite dust particles from the engraved areas. Then let it dry before adding the oil paint.. Failure to do this, may allow the paint to pick up this grit, and scratch the polished surface of the granite. The paint will now fill the scratches as well. Paint filled scratches will be very obvious in the finished piece.