Image Lab

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

By Scott Bedow, Founder & Lead Developer · Published June 28, 2026

Manufacturing manager who runs CO2, diode and MOPA fiber lasers; builds and maintains every Reticle Red tool.

Method — Documents the shipped behaviour of the current build. Updated when the tool changes, and dated so you can tell how far behind the build it may be.

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.

How to use Image Lab

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 (8–10 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 up to 4× · 1 CR

Enlarges an image up to 4× (capped at 8192 px on the long edge) 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 · 8–10 CR

The old "Vector Artist." The Reticle Line Forge engine redraws your photo in one of 8 styles (it does not trace the exact pixels; use Prep for that), then exports a PNG, an SVG or a LightBurn .lbrn2 at the finished width you set in mm. Standard 8–10 CR; Max Detail costs more.

Before a production run with Image Lab

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