01
LightBurn users
Start with intentional grayscale rather than an ordinary photo conversion.
LightBurn depth map
Create a cleaner LightBurn depth map before laser setup
Estimate relative depth, remap the useful range, and export a grayscale file you can inspect before configuring the actual laser job in LightBurn.
- Side-by-side depth inspection
- Beam-size and tonal-slice checks
- No unsafe machine settings hidden in the file
Live manufacturing workbench
Upload a photo. Preview the depth. Download your file.
Three free AI previews per day. Source checks, editing, 3D preview, and compatibility exports are free.
Choose a source image to begin.
Real work, real failure cost
Built around the people who pay for a bad output
The useful product is not the model call. It is the review loop that catches a reversed field, a noisy border, or an impossible relief before the next tool turns that mistake into wasted time.
02
Laser service bureaus
Approve image interpretation separately from machine calibration.
03
Hobby engravers
Learn with a free preview before using costly blanks.
01
Where a LightBurn depth map sits in a real Galvo job
LightBurn 2.1 supports 16-bit depth maps in Galvo 3D Sliced mode. The mode is aimed at jobs that exceed 256 passes, where an 8-bit source can no longer address every pass with a distinct level. Ordinary grayscale image engraving varies power through the image; sliced engraving removes material across repeated thresholded passes. The two are not interchangeable, and the file that suits one is not automatically right for the other.
That difference decides which DepthCarve download you want. For a high-pass-count Galvo job, take the production bundle's true 16-bit forward or inverse PNG, which is encoded from the model's raw float depth. For everything else — including any early import or orientation check — the free 8-bit preview is enough and costs nothing.
02
A compatibility container is not added precision
The free compatible 16-bit download puts the adjusted preview values inside a 16-bit grayscale container so a program that requires that container will accept it. It cannot contain more levels than the preview it came from, which is at most 256. Choosing it for a 300-pass job does not raise the ceiling; it only changes how the same values are stored.
Verify grayscale direction inside LightBurn before machining, because an inverted field produces a plausible preview and a mirrored cut. Set the physical size deliberately, inspect the pass preview, then calibrate on scrap of the same material. Neither download carries tested speed, power, focus, interval, or pass settings, and none of them is machine code.
03
What DepthCarve deliberately does not configure
DepthCarve prepares and documents the image interpretation. It does not send settings to LightBurn, set layer mode, choose line interval, or claim that a PNG is safe G-code. Your device, lens, and material decide those, and the installed LightBurn version decides which of them exist at all.
Keep the manufacturing checks in front of approval. Beam or tool diameter against visible detail, depth step against tonal slices, and stock thickness against total relief give you a cheap reason to reject a source photo before an expensive one appears on the bed.
Five bounded stages
A file moves forward only after it earns approval
- 1
Inspect
Check source contrast, edge detail, border clutter, and resolution before an AI call is trusted.
- 2
Shape
Adjust the subject mask, background, curve, detail, smoothing, taper, frame, and real dimensions for free.
- 3
Check
Compare beam or tool size, tonal slices, slope, base, manifold topology, and bounding box with the real setup.
- 4
Approve
Approve one successful production job only after the free 2D and 3D previews earn acceptance.
- 5
Transfer
Download one verified ZIP and inspect it in LightBurn, CAM, or a slicer before committing production material.
Choose by next action
The formats are not interchangeable
| Output | Use it for | It does not guarantee | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-bit PNG | Preview, mask, laser and compositing tests | Physical scale or machine settings | Free |
| Compatible 16-bit PNG | Compatibility with grayscale depth workflows | Additional source precision | Free |
| Preview STL | Low-cost scale and import checks | Printability, tool reach, or safe G-code | Free |
| Production job bundle | Raw EXR, true 16-bit pair, STL, preview and manifest | Hidden surfaces or certified metric truth | 1 credit |
Straight answers
Questions before you commit a file
Does DepthCarve send settings directly to LightBurn?
No. It exports prepared grayscale input. You import that file into LightBurn and configure size, mode, speed, power, interval, passes, and device settings yourself.
Which DepthCarve file should I use for LightBurn 2.1 3D Sliced?
Use the production bundle's true 16-bit PNG when a Galvo job needs more than 256 passes. Use the free 8-bit preview for early image and import checks. The free compatible 16-bit container does not add detail. Verify the grayscale direction in LightBurn before machining; neither file includes tested machine settings.
Which download contains true 16-bit depth?
The production bundle encodes the model's raw float EXR into true 16-bit PNG. The free compatible 16-bit download only repackages the preview values; it adds no source precision.
What should I do after exporting?
Open the file in LightBurn, verify units and direction, inspect at final size, and run a low-cost test before committing production material or a client deadline.
Continue with the next specific job
Preview the idea. Pay for usable output.
Start without an account. When a professional format earns approval, use the welcome credit or choose a pack that matches the shop's workload.