Images vs. Vectors

Understanding the difference between vectors and images is essential for creating and editing custom projects. It influences the tools and methods used in LightBurn, as well as the settings, speed, and quality of jobs.

There are two main ways a computer can describe something visually:

Images	Vectors

Images are made up of pixels — tiny blocks of color in a grid. Sometimes called bitmaps or rasters, Images include digital photographs, flatbed scans, digital drawings, and computer-generated renders.	Vectors are essentially lines made of mathematical formulas. Thankfully, you don't need to know the math! LightBurn takes care of that behind the scenes, and provides you with a visual way of editing these. No matter how far you zoom in on a vector it will always be perfect quality, so it's a great way to make logos and graphics.

Both Images and Vectors can either be made within LightBurn, or imported from files made in other software. See Importing for more information about file types that are compatible with LightBurn, and read on for more information about images and vectors.

Images¶

Image Uses and Laser Behavior¶

Images can only be used for engraving, not cutting. When a laser produces an image, it does so by scanning side-to-side across the material surface. As it moves, it can create shading by either switching the beam on and off to form little dots, or by varying the power. Producing an image in this way generally takes a considerable amount of time, as each line is usually a fraction of a millimeter apart, and it takes hundreds of lines to form most images.

Image Appearance and Quality¶

When an image is used, LightBurn assigns it to a layer set to Image Mode. When selected, images appear encircled by a border in the color of the layer they are assigned to. If you zoom in on an image, or make an image larger, the blocks of color will eventually become noticable, resulting in an undesirable "pixelized" quality.

Image Operations¶

There are various types of image processing modes, the choice of which has a significant effect on the final result.

Vectors¶

Vector Uses and Behavior¶

You can use Vectors to:

Cut through a material
Score/mark lines and perimeters
Engrave areas

To use a vector to cut, score, or make a line or perimeter, you must assign the shapes to a layer set to Line Mode. This tells the laser to trace/follow the paths and shapes of the vector.

Vectors used to engrave an area must be closed shapes and assigned to a layer set to either Fill or Offset Fill. Engravings are produced in a similar fashion to images — with many lines next to each other — however, there is no variation in power, nor dot-dithering, so the result is a flat color without gradients or shading.

Filling areas is generally much more time consuming than marking or scoring them, so it's a good idea to consider if a design can be produced using Line layers.

Wireframe vs Filled View

By default, Fill Mode layers will appear as outlines, which makes it easier to spot and select vectors that are behind other vectors.

Select a View Style from the Window Menu, or toggle between View Styles by pressing Alt/Option+Shift+W.

Creating and Editing Different Types of Vectors¶

The most simple form of vectors in LightBurn are paths, created using Draw Lines and edited using Edit Nodes. These paths can be open or closed.

LightBurn also offers more intelligent vectors in the form of built-in shapes. These have properties that remain editable so long as the object isn't converted to a path. Built-in shapes include Text, Bar Codes and Primary Shapes such as Ellipses, Rectangles, and Polygons.

Converting Between Images and Vectors¶

There are a few ways to convert graphics between images and vectors. However, these processes are often not required, and may negatively impact quality.

You can turn images into vectors using Trace Image. This is often used by people wishing to engrave "clip art". However, this process results in an estimation of the image, and often the results from using Threshold image processing mode are better. Trace Image is best used when you cut, edit, or scale up an image that is too small to result in a nice engraving at the current size — vectors can be upscaled infinitely without losing quality.

You can turn vectors into images using Convert to Bitmap. This is often used by people wishing to repair a vector that was not well optimized for lasering. However, this conversion process eliminates the ability to scale infinitely and edit the vector directly, so it is usually better to repair the vector.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.