Contrast

The difference between light and dark parts of an image.

In the workflow

Why Contrast matters

More contrast can separate a subject from its background, but too much can erase midtone detail and create harsh solid areas.

Practical check

How to evaluate it

Increase contrast only until the subject separates cleanly. Inspect midtones afterward, because an image can look punchy on screen while losing the transitions needed for a face or curved object.

Go deeper

A complete, machine-neutral workflow for choosing, cropping, tuning, dithering, sizing, inspecting, and testing a laser engraving photo.

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Prepare the pixels

Use the terminology in a real photo workflow.

Crop, tune, size, dither, and export a one-bit PNG on iPhone or iPad. Test the result on scrap with your machine and material guidance.

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