In the workflow
Why Sharpening matters
Moderate sharpening can help detail survive reduction. Too much creates halos and noise that become false marks after dithering.
Practical check
How to evaluate it
Inspect eyes, hair, fur, and high-contrast edges for halos or false texture. Apply sharpening before the final dither and judge it at the intended output size.
Go deeper
How to Prepare a Photo for Laser Engraving
A complete, machine-neutral workflow for choosing, cropping, tuning, dithering, sizing, inspecting, and testing a laser engraving photo.
Read the complete guide