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Material guide

Laser engraving photos on painted tile

Paint a white tile matte black, and the laser burns the paint away to reveal white glaze. The marks are light, so the file is inverted.

The laser marks
Lighter than the surface
The file
Inverted by the preset
Default dither
Ultra
Mirror
Off by default
Try it on painted tileStart free
A terrier photo engraved for Painted Tile by our engine, previewed as light marks on the surface
Our engine’s file for Painted Tile, previewed on the material the way the app shows it. Paint it matte black first. The laser burns the paint off to white glaze, so the file is inverted.

What happens on painted tile

The painted tile method starts from a white glazed tile with a coat of matte black paint. The laser removes the paint where it fires and exposes the white glaze underneath. The result is a bright image on a black ground, much like slate but with a smoother, more even surface.

Because the marks are lighter than the surface, the painted tile preset inverts the file: the light parts of the photo become exposed glaze. The tone recipe stays neutral (no gamma lift or extra contrast) and the dither is Ultra, because black paint on white glaze already gives very strong contrast.

The glaze is flat, so the dots stay crisp and fine detail holds. Most of the variation comes from the paint layer: thick paint needs more power to clear, and gloss paint can melt rather than burn away cleanly.

Recommended DPI by laser type

Recommended DPI on painted tile for each laser type
LaserDPINotes
Diode254Diodes remove black paint well. Start at 254 DPI.
CO₂254Works well. Try 318 DPI on a smooth tile.
CO₂ fine318The flat glaze holds fine lines.
Fiber508Fiber lasers can remove paint, but results vary. Test first.
Galvo / UV423For small tiles with fine detail.

The default DPI for your laser type is a good start. If dots merge, the paint clears in patches and detail fills in. The laser DPI calculator explains how DPI matches spot size.

Try it on painted tile

Drop a photo, or use a sample. Our real engine makes a 4 in file at 254 DPI for Painted Tile with the Ultra dither, here in the page. The photo stays on your device.

Material

No photo handy?

Downloading the file needs a free account.

How to prepare a photo for painted tile

  1. Paint the tile

    Give a white glazed tile an even coat of matte black paint and let it dry fully.

  2. Open the app

    One Click for a quick file, or Easy Mode to crop and fine-tune.

  3. Pick Painted Tile

    The preset inverts the file so the laser exposes the light parts of the photo.

  4. Crop to the tile

    Square or hexagon crops match common tiles.

  5. Set size and laser

    Enter the tile size and pick your laser type.

  6. Preview

    The On material tab shows white marks on black. Faces should read as a positive.

  7. Export

    PNG, BMP or a .lbrn2 project for LightBurn. Leave invert off in your laser software.

Prep tips

  • Use matte black paint. Gloss paint can melt and smear instead of burning away.
  • Spray thin, even coats. Thick paint needs more power and clears unevenly.
  • Let the paint cure fully before engraving.
  • After engraving, wipe off the residue with a damp cloth.
  • A clear coat afterwards protects the paint, but test it on a spare tile.
  • Portraits with a light face on a dark background read best once inverted.
  • Burning paint smells. Work with ventilation.

Common mistakes

Using the white tile preset
White tile is for the toner method and is not inverted. A painted tile needs the inverted painted tile preset.
Inverting twice
The file is already inverted. Turn off any invert option in your laser software.
Glossy paint
Gloss paint tends to melt. Matte paint burns off more cleanly.
Thick paint
A heavy coat needs more power, and dense areas can stay partly painted.

Questions

About engraving photos on painted tile. More in the guides.

Why is the photo inverted for painted tile?
The laser removes the black paint and shows white glaze, so the light parts of the photo need to be engraved. The preset inverts the file.
What paint should I use?
A matte black paint in thin, even coats. Gloss paint tends to melt.
How is this different from white tile?
White tile uses toner and gives dark marks, so it is not inverted. Painted tile gives light marks and is inverted.
Is painted tile like slate?
It looks similar: light marks on a dark ground. The glaze is smoother than slate, so fine detail can hold better.
What DPI should I use?
254 DPI for diode and CO2, 318 for a fine CO2 setup.

Make your painted tile file.

Sign up free to download the file you made here, then use One Click, Easy Mode and Batch in the app.

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