What lines per cm (DPI) should you laser engrave at?
More resolution sounds better. On a laser it often isn’t. Laser engraving lines per cm — or DPI, or line interval, depending on your software — has a ceiling set by your beam’s dot size. Push right up to it and photos can come out worse.
Applies to
- Process
- Diode, CO₂ & fiber engraving
- Names
- Lines per cm (xTool) · DPI or line interval (LightBurn)
- Range
- xTool Creative Space allows 10–300 lines/cm
Why it matters
Every line the laser draws has a width, roughly its dot size. More powerful diodes tend to have a thicker dot. Pack the lines tighter than the dot and they just overlap — no new detail, only more heat in the same spot.
Make or Break Shop’s xTool S1 tops out around 300 lines/cm on paper. On his plywood, 200 looked better than 300, because the lines weren’t piling on top of each other.
Density changes brightness too. Steve Makes Everything points out that tighter or looser line spacing makes an engrave darker or lighter. That’s a per-job tweak, not a material setting.
What good looks like
- Vector engraves run at a known baseline unless a test says otherwise
- Photo resolution came from a test strip, not the top of the slider
- Fills look solid, without striping or scorched overlap
How to apply it
- Set vector engraves (text, logos, fills) to 100 lines/cm as a baseline.
- For photos, lock power and the dithering mode. Make or Break Shop uses Jarvis.
- Engrave the same image at steps from 100 up to 300 lines/cm, adjusting speed as needed.
- Pick the sharpest one. It’s often not the highest.
- Using DPI or interval instead? 100 lines/cm ≈ 254 DPI = 0.1 mm interval; 200 lines/cm ≈ 508 DPI = 0.05 mm.
Test it on your setup
- Burn a strip of the same photo at 100, 200 and 300 lines/cm on the real material. Look for where extra lines stop adding detail and start adding darkness.
Exceptions & tradeoffs
Higher resolution means more lines, so the job takes longer. If 150 looks the same as 250, run 150.
The ceiling is machine-specific. A different laser has a different dot, so run the strip on each machine instead of borrowing a number.
Common mistakes
- Maxing out the resolution slider for ‘more detail’Test it; past the dot size, lines overlap and add nothing
- Running text and logos at photo resolutionStart vector engraves at 100 lines/cm
- Copying a DPI from a different laserDot size differs by machine; run your own strip
Frequently asked questions
- What DPI should I use for laser engraving?Start vector engraves around 100 lines/cm, about 254 DPI. For photos, test 100 to 300 lines/cm on your material; the best often sits below the maximum.
- How do I convert lines per cm to DPI or line interval?Multiply lines per cm by 2.54 for DPI, so 100 lines/cm is about 254 DPI. The line interval is 10 divided by lines per cm: 100 lines/cm is 0.1 mm.
- Is higher resolution always better for laser engraving?No. Once lines sit closer than the laser’s dot size they overlap, adding heat but no detail. Make or Break Shop got a better photo at 200 lines/cm than at 300.
- Does line interval change how dark an engrave is?Yes. Tighter lines make the engrave darker; looser lines make it lighter.
100 lines/cm as the vector engrave setting, and the 10–300 range in xTool Creative Space — How to Find the Best Laser Settings ↗ at 11:41.
The lines-per-cm image test (100 to 300) and how dot size caps useful resolution — How to Find the Best Laser Settings ↗ at 16:35.
200 lines/cm looking better than 300 on his wood and machine — How to Find the Best Laser Settings ↗ at 17:31.
Line interval / density making an engrave brighter or dimmer, as a per-job setting — Your Laser Settings Are a Hot Mess! Here's the Quick Fix! ↗ at 04:54.
The 100 lines/cm baseline, the 100–300 test and the 200-beats-300 result are Make or Break Shop’s, on his xTool S1 and plywood. The interval-changes-brightness point is Steve Makes Everything’s. The DPI and interval conversions are plain arithmetic, added so LightBurn users can follow along.