Image Lab

One upload, every photo-to-laser prep step.

Image Lab is the unified photo-prep workspace. Instead of five separate tools, you get one destination with five tabs along the top — Prep, Upscale, Remove BG, Vectorize, and Slice. Work an image through whichever steps it needs, then send the result to your laser or save it to your Armory. The two client-side tools (Prep and Slice) are always free; the three AI tools spend credits per run.

Operating Steps

Step 1: Upload Once

Drag & drop a JPG, PNG, or WEBP onto any tab. Switch tabs along the top to run different operations — the Image Lab keeps you in one workspace.

Step 2: Upscale if Low-Res (1 CR)

If your source is small or soft, run Upscale first. Sharper input produces dramatically cleaner vector nodes and depth maps downstream.

Step 3: Remove the Background (1 CR)

For portraits and product shots, isolate the subject so the laser ignores the background. Optional but recommended before vectorizing busy photos.

Step 4: Vectorize (4 CR) or Prep (free)

Use Vectorize for clean SVG line art (cutting, scoring, fill engraving). Use Prep instead when you want a dithered photo-engrave (raster) rather than vectors.

Step 5: Slice for Large Format (free)

If the finished art is bigger than your laser bed, the Slice tab tiles it into a labeled grid (R1C1, R1C2, R2C1…) with an overlap margin so you can engrave and reassemble seamlessly.

Tactical Tip

For the cleanest vector nodes, feed Vectorize a high-contrast image with clear subject/background separation. The fastest path for a rough phone photo: Upscale → Remove BG → Vectorize. When you're signed in, each AI step is saved to your Armory, so you can branch off any stage later; guests can still download every result.

Prep — Dither & Contrast · FREE

Convert photos to laser-ready 1-bit or grayscale with Floyd–Steinberg, halftone, and ordered dithering. Presets for hardwood, slate, acrylic, leather, and anodized aluminum.

Upscale — AI 4× · 1 CR

Quadruples resolution and restores detail with AI. Use it on low-res photos and artwork before high-DPI engraving or before vectorizing.

Remove BG — Isolate Subject · 1 CR

Neural background removal returns a clean transparent PNG — the transparent area reads as empty space your laser skips. Ideal for portraits and logos.

Vectorize — Photo → SVG · 4 CR

The old "Vector Artist." Powered by the Reticle Line Forge engine, it turns any bitmap into clean, production-ready SVG paths — no duplicate nodes or jagged edges.

Before a production run

Save the source file before changing geometry or parameters, confirm the final physical dimensions, and inspect the smallest details at the intended output size. Use matching scrap to test focus, speed, power, frequency, and layer order. Record the settings that worked with the material and machine so the next job starts from a verified result.

Open Image Lab Tool Workspace