This isn't the TiO2 method, it isn't glass, and it isn't a laminated surface. This is removing layers applied with acrylic or spray paint using the laser — it can be used on any paintable base material (wood, MDF, canvas, metal).
Paint thickness should ideally be 0.015–0.03 mm per layer. With a thicker layer than this, the laser has a harder time stopping cleanly at the boundary of the layer underneath.
Image processing: for painted materials, use dither only — grayscale mode isn't suitable, since we can only create black and white areas.
The basic combination: white base + black closing layer. The laser removes the black layer, revealing the white underneath.
Important: this is white engraving — the image needs to be switched to negative in the software, since you're burning away the white, not the black. The engraved area will be white on the dark background.
The goal is to find the power–speed combination where the closing (black) layer is already gone, but the layer underneath (white) is still intact. Test method: a 10×10 material test grid in LightBurn, with speed and power on the axes.
When testing, it's worth also including a third, contrasting base color (e.g. dark blue), so you can easily see when you've reached the base material.
| Module | Speed range | Power range |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5W | 800–2,400 mm/min | 5–30% |
| 22W | 2,400–7,200 mm/min | 2.5–20% |
Beyond the base layer, further colors can be sprayed — partially or completely — onto the base material. This way the laser reaches the differently colored layers at different depths.
Two approaches:
1. Spot-sprayed masking: the colored layers go onto the areas matching the image's original colors, then a single uniform black closing layer seals it. The laser works at a single power, but a different color appears underneath depending on location.
2. Layer-by-layer removal: the image is vectorized, and each shape is engraved at a different power. Higher power removes down to a deeper layer. For this you need to find the power that already removes two layers.
Order matters: always work top to bottom (from the topmost layer toward the base). The closing layer should be last and the most uniform.
The 318 DPI / 0.08 mm examples only fit on a 100+ step/mm system — on an 80 step/mm machine (GT2 20T) they cause banding. See: Mechanics I guide.
Layering: 2× white + 1× black
Settings: 4,800 / 10% / 0
DPI: 254 / 0.10 mm
Size: 25×38 cm, 1 pass
Layering: 2× white + 1× black
Settings: 1,200 / 20% / 0
DPI: 318 / 0.08 mm · Jarvis
Size: 8×12 cm, 1 pass
Layering: 2× white + metallic orange (lower half) + metallic blue (upper) + 1× metallic black
Settings: 1,200 / 30% / 0
DPI: 318 / 0.08 mm · Jarvis
Layering: 2× white + 4 spot-sprayed colors + 1× matte black
Settings: 4,800 / 10% / 0
DPI: 254 / 0.10 mm
Size: 38×38 cm, 1 pass
Post-treatment is simple, but important:
It's also worth sealing the back of plywood with lacquer — it warps less.