Good Day i started with lightburn and. Need to get more information on how to do photos on a mirror and what settings is best. I have a orthur master 2 20 watt ant help wil be apreciated…
Thanks irene
The butterfly wwas done on 400 on 50
The butterfly wwas done on 400 on 50
Not exactly sure what you want.
The 2nd example is from the back… is that what you want the user to see?
If you want a ‘grey scale’ type that is difficult, if not impossible with your laser, on non natural material. It’s hard enough on natural materials.
I engrave some glass and IMHO, you need to use a technique much like a printer by some type of dithering of the photo. Make an image that the eye interprets it the way you want.
I do some mirrors, but usually from the back on the co2 and paint them. I can get different textures on the glass, but the reflective part is only there or not.
Might try the test pattern that Lightburn has under Laser tools and see if you can get the effect you want.
The photo from the back, doesn’t show us anything about the results of that test…
Good luck
Yes im doing all the photos from the back but it looks like im cutting to deep and would like to know you best settings
I treid it in this methode but it looks like I’m cutting to deep. And would like to know what is the best results for you. I’m working on Image R to dittering my photos so thats wil work.
you have to test for yourself to determain the best settings, we do not have your machine, the exact type of mirror you are using etc etc. It looks like you are testing anyway so I don’t understand your question really. if you think it’s going to deep, reduce the power or increase the speed or put a masking tape on to take up some of the power initially.
I only would like to know what % and power is good for mirror , i know you don’t have my machine im only asking for a guideline. I’m testing anyway and just need a guidline of whats the best. Thank ill do that aswell.
Is this an image mode?
Where would you be if you cut 1/2 way through the reflective coating?
Same place. You have a mirrored spot or a not mirrored spot. I don’t think you’re going to be able to get a ‘gray mirror’.
What are you expecting from it?
In order to get anything, like I think you want, you will have to dither the image somehow…
If you could post what you wish to engrave, we could probably be much more help. We have kind of a ‘nebulous’ idea of what you want.
Ok thanks for the help my English is very poor and i know. My question is not right.
Here is what i must put on a mirror. And i know ImagR dithering the photo. The only thing i don’t know is, must i put it on a black tile for the mirror or a white tile. Because i engrave from the back
I think I selected glass when I did my initial investigation using ImagR. Nothing else seem to apply.
That will be a tough picture to produce on a mirror… Remember it’s like the dot’s on a newspaper. You only have a black dot or a white hole… only have ‘mirror’ or ‘no mirror’ dots.
Make sense?
Good luck
When I do mirror, I do it from the front, is best to use masking tape to avoid some reflections.
Also when engraving glass it’s usual to do an inverted image.
The image you posted imo would need a lot of alteration before you could get a good representation of it on glass, remove the background, make it high contrast and not to high DPS (for glass as you are fracturing the glass to create a dot so it’s bigger than a dot on wood) I would say 150 dpi, maybe you could push it a bit higher.
Also when I do glass I use as lower power as possible, maybe 10 or 12% ( I have 100w ) and probably 300mm/s
What is reflected from what with glass?
Thanks I’ll take all the advise u can get. And I only have a othur 20 watt laser so any help would be appreciated. Thanks again
Thanks, ill definitely will take your advise and wil remove the back ground on gimp and go play around with the photo. I only have a 20W orthur laser…
It.s mirror, not just clear glass though, and engraving on the face side means the laser is reflecting off the mirror. it might not make a difference to the actual cut, but makes it a lot easier to see lol
Thanks ill definitely remember it, Im busy with them on gimp now to take away the background and then doing it on image R dither it more.
I hope it works.
I undrstand it refleks and all the video’s i saw on youtube was from the back. And then they say It’s a negative side and they set it on tile and my Afrikaans and english does not work, But i raelly want to do this it will help me grow a little… so I’m stil trying to understand it aswell🤣
I got the tiles easy but mirror is completly new and engraving on wood is not the same as mirror. I’m so glad i got masking tape so i can do it on the pure mirror just have to test it again to make sure i don’t burn to much in it.
But your advise is helping me a lot.
Thanks
I think he means the mirror remember, it a mirror not a glass, and it does reflect 
I always think co2 when dealing with glass, since an led can’t engrave glass, directly.
My apologies.
I have done both sides with the co2, never attempted it with the led.
On the face, it does the shatter type engraving, similar on back, but you can cover that glass with paint for a different effect.
This is 12" sq. mirror tile. Engraved from the back.
2 Likes
Thanks, hehe
Thats very Nicely done
