Engrave a photo on slate
Slate is preset: the image is inverted because the engraving turns light on dark stone. With a slate preview.
or tap to choose a photo. JPG, PNG, WebP and iPhone photos (HEIC).
Choose fileMaterial and laser
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The values per material are starting points. Check them with a test grid on your material.
Image
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Step by step
- Pick a photo with a clear subject and a well-lit face or object. On dark stone, very dark parts of the image almost blend into the color of the slate.
- Measure the usable area of your slate and enter a slightly smaller width in mm. Natural slate often has broken, irregular edges where the engraving would fray.
- Choose your laser type. The slate material and “Invert” are already set – keep the box ticked unless your laser software inverts the image again on its own.
- Use the “Preview” tab to see how the subject looks as a light engraving on gray stone. If the face looks washed out, raise the contrast in small steps.
- Download the PNG and first engrave a small sample in a corner or on an offcut before doing the whole piece.
What you can use it for
- Photo coasters: Round or square slate coasters with a family, couple or pet photo are a classic gift. A set with different photos can be prepared with the same width.
- Memorial plaques: A portrait on slate looks calm and lasts a long time. For a good result, choose a photo where the face is large enough in the frame.
- House and door signs: A photo of the house or a drawn motif can be combined with a house number or family name. Add the text in your laser software.
- Serving boards: Large slate boards for cheese or antipasti get a personal touch with a small photo or logo in one corner.
Why slate is different
On wood the engraving turns dark, on slate it turns light: the laser roughens the surface and it appears light gray to white. A normal photo would look like a negative, so the tool inverts the image automatically for slate.
Good starting values
Slate has an uneven surface. Slightly more contrast and a dithering with smooth gradients such as Stucki or Atkinson usually look better than the finest detail. For 100 mm coasters, 8 lines per mm is a good start.
Clean the stone before engraving and wipe it with a little oil afterwards: the contrast becomes much stronger.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to invert the image for slate?
Yes, because the engraving turns light. The tool does this automatically for slate.
Which laser works for slate?
Diode and CO2 lasers both engrave slate well. Exact power and speed depend on your machine.
Why does the laser file look like a negative?
That is correct for slate. In the file, black means “burn here”. Since burned areas turn light on slate, the image is inverted and becomes a normal photo again on the stone.
Do I need to mirror for slate?
No. Slate is engraved from the front. Mirroring is only needed when engraving from behind through a transparent material.
My photo has a light background – is that a problem?
Inverting turns a light background into a large, light engraved area. That takes time and distracts from the subject. Dark backgrounds, on the other hand, stay unengraved and look like the stone itself. Transparent areas, however, are never engraved – which is why a cut-out subject is often the best choice on slate.
What width makes sense for small coasters?
Allow for the edge of the piece: with irregular edges, leave a few millimeters of margin. The height follows from the photo's aspect ratio, so crop the photo to fit beforehand.
Does grayscale make sense on slate?
Slate shows few real gray tones; it tends to be light or unchanged. With one of the dot dithering options, gray tones come from dot density, which usually works more reliably on stone.
The engraving looks flat – what can I change in the file?
Raise the contrast or try Atkinson dithering. On stone, a few strong tonal steps tend to work better than many subtle ones.