# When uploading a photo, the preview is almost completely black. It engraves with no detail **URL:** \ **Category:** Common Problems\ **Created:** [December 15, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491 "2021-12-15T19:32:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/1 "2021-12-15T19:32:20Z")
Hi. I am new to LightBurn and engraving. I have had much success engraving designs on slate but I cannot get a grasp of engraving pictures. I have an OMTech 55 watt. I do not know my “controller” or “firmware”. I am still on my 30 trial of Lightburn. This first picture is the original photo. ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/a/6/a61aa13f519a4d577524a4fa53af75447c549a5d.png) this second is what shows in preview. ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/7/a/7a0d2d63ea39a5edce98861ad010267393cac29c.png) ---
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/2 "2021-12-15T19:34:33Z")
I have spent many hours adjusting the image (contrast, brightness, etc). I am not able to get a decent photo to engrave, no details in the engraving ---
**Author:** ![berainlb](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@berainlb](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/berainlb)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/3 "2021-12-15T19:43:36Z")
Have you actually engraved the images to see how it turns out or are you basing this strictly on the preview? If you actually engraved these can you send a photo of the result? One thing I’m noticing in the screenshot is that you have minimum power set to 50%. That would heavily impede the lower end of engraving power which is possibly why it’s coming out so dark. If that doesn’t work upload your .lbrn file here and someone can take a closer look. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/rick/32/69_2.png) [@Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/4 "2021-12-15T19:57:05Z")
If you zoom in when in ‘Preview’, you will see the details of what will be sent to the laser. 🙂 As @berainlb suggests, for settings adjustment, show us what result you are producing, and we can offer some further feedback. ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/c/b/cbed167ed3ffe76dced4d2df86562bcaa9d73180.jpeg) ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/6/e/6e0d79ec29407f94bbcd82ee0c4313b5dd9681c5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 8:06pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/5 "2021-12-15T20:06:53Z")
I have tried engraving and it is basically a giant white blob. I have watched the 45 minute LightBurn picture video and still no luck. Here is the original picture ![IMG_1766](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/c/3/c391060fbf77f6887e786d448348813ce1945c58.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/rick/32/69_2.png) [@Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/6 "2021-12-15T20:21:59Z")
Without doing anything to your image beyond copying and pasting this into LightBurn, hit ‘Preview’, then I zoom to see the following. The detail is there. ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/e/c/ececbade6885450b3471ed306c6b088191311109.jpeg) Here, I use the ‘Adjust Image’ tool, to enhance the image for laser output and show again, a zoomed view. ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/5/6/5637b2b3ba36bcb8239c3458c436dadf243ec007.jpeg) ![image](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/d/1/d1164afcce7e40ef159fe84ec86eacafd48d4306.jpeg) Show us what this looks like when you try to produce this on your material. What material are you wanting to engrave? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/7 "2021-12-15T21:38:29Z")
I am using slate. I will run it tonight and post it. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![berainlb](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@berainlb](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/berainlb)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/8 "2021-12-15T21:43:23Z")
Can you send a sample of what the engraving on the slate looks like? If the slate is dark I’d imagine you’d want to invert the engraving so that you’re engraving the parts you expect to be white. ---
**Author:** ![jkwilborn](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/jkwilborn/32/63089_2.png) [@jkwilborn](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/jkwilborn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/9 "2021-12-15T21:45:27Z")
Some types of slate produce ‘white damage’ and some types produce ‘black damage’ ![slate-diferences](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/a/9/a98ce4ce959153f7ae850140e769d77f0dc81c1d.jpeg) Might have to run a negative engraving, depending on the type of slate you are using. Another problem is that the ‘size’ of the damage or the ability to produce fine detail is inhibited because the ‘rock’ shatters… The cannabis leaf was at a lower resolution of 0.2 (127 lpi) as it was an image. Don’t know if anyone has tried this site for image processing… > **[Laser Engraving: Prepare Images in 6 Steps](https://www.imag-r.com/)** > > How-to: Laser Engraving Pictures: I want to tell you how we engrave photos on a laser machine. After various tests, trial and error, we insurance that we've born algorithms that allows you to get good quality engraving on any material. Good luck, picked a touch material… hang in there. 😺 ---
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/10 "2021-12-15T22:26:34Z")
![20211215_171656](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/2/4/24ea619cf8a0a8033957dd5f28b994052799349d.jpeg) this is a design I did on the slate ---
**Author:** ![aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@aeccles2002](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/aeccles2002)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/11 "2021-12-15T22:35:44Z")
Here is the result using the “adjust image” settings above. Ignore the black circles on the corners. Not wanting to waste product I am using the front and back of the slate and those are the marks from the corner pads I removed. ![20211215_173246](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/2/a/2abcd76f7c858b330ea4e48c645e4aa0e0f23e0c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![jkwilborn](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/jkwilborn/32/63089_2.png) [@jkwilborn](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/jkwilborn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/12 "2021-12-15T22:40:28Z")
Is this the way the text and stars are supposed to look? ![Screenshot from 2021-12-15 15-39-45](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/uploads/default/original/3X/3/2/32c0a3eefe1fac5c72b94fd41e43097069c5655b.png) 😺 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/rick/32/69_2.png) [@Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/13 "2021-12-15T23:26:45Z")
Thank you for this. Please update and share the settings used as well. Power, Speed, and the image cut settings. I know you said you used “the “adjust image” settings above.” but I’d like to confirm what you have set there as well. 🙂 I might use a different scrap material to test getting an image to produce as you like, prior to testing on slate. You can remove your testing from the slate using a sander (search hot to do this on this forum), but that takes time. Once you have a process that works for you, testing on an inexpensive material, use that to dial in for a specific material. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/rick/32/69_2.png) [@Rick](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/14 "2021-12-15T23:33:00Z")
The image showing the flag, looks like you have some mechanical issues, skipping, loose belts or some parts of the gantry system not snug, and moving when changing directions. Something is not correct, producing these doubling artifacts. I would take a once over to ensure all components are moving smoothly, without binding, snug and working correctly. You may need to dial this hardware in a bit to get the best possible results. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/system/32/64335_2.png) [@system](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2022, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/when-uploading-a-photo-the-preview-is-almost-completely-black-it-engraves-with-no-detail/54491/15 "2022-01-14T23:33:35Z")
Closed on January 14, 2022, 11:33pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.