How to Turn a Photo Into a Depth Map for Laser Engraving
Want to engrave a portrait or pet? Here's how to convert a photo into a clean, ready-to-burn depth map.
Custom depth maps are how you turn a customer's photo — a portrait, a pet, a logo — into a one-of-a-kind 3D engraving. The conversion is the make-or-break step, so here's how to get a clean result.
Start with the right photo
The quality of your depth map depends heavily on the source image. The best photos share a few traits:
- A clear, distinct subject that stands out from the background
- Good, even lighting with real contrast between light and shadow
- A relatively clean or simple background
- Sharp focus — blur becomes mushy, undefined relief
Portraits, pets, and single objects convert best. Busy group shots or dim, flat photos produce shallow, indistinct relief.
The conversion process
- Upload your photo to the PortraitHut custom depth map generator.
- The tool analyzes light and depth cues and builds a 16-bit grayscale depth map automatically.
- Preview the result to confirm the subject reads clearly.
- Check out and download the full-resolution file instantly.
From file to finished piece
Once you have the file, the workflow is the same as any depth map: load it into LightBurn, switch to grayscale mode, turn dithering off, and run a test grid before your final burn on hardwood or acrylic.
Have a photo in mind? Convert it into a custom depth map in seconds.
Create a custom depth map