Right resolution for the laser engraving

The correct resolution can drastically affect your engraving result. The material you use, the image itself and the engraving time all play an important part.

Used material and graphic content

Material impact

Workpieces absorb energy when laser engraved. Because of the high temperatures, the dots grow larger and may overlap (="dot bleed"). It is especially important to take this property into account when doing a photo engraving. The correct resolution is essential to avoid dot bleed.

Used material	Preferred resolutions
wood, glass, textile, stone	lower resolutions: 125, 250 and 333 dpi
acrylic, TroLase materials, paper, cardboard	moderate resolutions: from 500 to 600 dpi
stamps, metal, processing with fiber laser	higher resolutions: from 600 to 1000 dpi

Graphic content

Depending on how detailed your image is, we recommend that you increase the resolution to 600 dpi in spite of the aforementioned "dot bleed". This lets even the smallest of details be perfectly engraved.

Laser engraving with different resolutions

The higher the resolution you choose, the more time it will take to laser engrave.
You can save time if you pick a different resolution. For example, if you are doing a large-scale engraving, you could pick a lower resolution and then use a higher Z-offset value to accomodate the resultant line spacing.

Consistent engraving result - 1/4 of the original processing time

View our sample to see how the same image can be engraved at 500dpi with the same result as 125 dpi in only a quarter of the time:

Speedy 360, 80 Watt, P=65%, v=50%
Resolution	125 dpi	250 dpi	333 dpi	500 dpi
z-Offset	+12 mm	+12 mm	+9 mm	+6 mm
time [h]	1:52	3:31	4:28	6:47

Exception for laser engraving rubber stamps:

With stamps, a higher resolution will raise the energy density during engraving. If you engrave the stamp at 500 dpi, then you need to reduce the engraving speed so that you can get the recommended engraving depth of 1.1mm. To contrast, engraving can actually be quicker at 1000 dpi, saving time in spite of the larger resolution.

More information and tips

Do you need more tips on choosing the right resolution or do you have any other questions about laser processing? Our experts will be happy to help you.

Contact us