Laser Engraving Photos on Slate: A Simple How-To That Works
Slate coasters are a cool canvas for laser engraving — they’ve got a natural texture, they’re durable, and when done right, the results look slick without being flashy. In this post, I’m walking you through how I laser engrave a photo onto slate using the xTool P2 and xTool Creative Space (XCS). This is the same project from my YouTube video above, but with a bit more detail and a few side notes that didn’t make it in.
What You’ll Need:
Slate coaster (uncoated, unfinished)
xTool P2 or similar diode/CO2 laser
Flat or satin clear spray (not gloss)
Photo editing software (I used GIMP)
Degreaser and microfiber cloth (for cleanup)
Step 1: Prep the Slate
Slate coasters can be hit or miss when it comes to laser detail. Straight out of the box, they tend to ghost the image a bit — especially with photos. To fix that, I hit mine with a light coat of flat clear spray. I used Krylon, but any flat or satin clear works. Avoid gloss. Gloss seals the surface too much and ruins both the engraving and the coaster’s ability to soak up moisture.
Let it dry for a few minutes — or just stick it in your laser and let the exhaust fan do the work while it airs out.
Step 2: Clean Up the Photo
I used a portrait of Bill Murray (because… why not?) and cleaned it up in GIMP, a free photo editor. You can use Photoshop or whatever you’re comfortable with.
You’ve got a few options here:
Magic Select tools (quick but not always accurate around hair)
Manual trace (a little slower but way more control)
Once you’ve got a clean cutout of your subject, copy it into a new transparent canvas. You can optionally shrink the alpha selection by 1 pixel and invert/delete to soften the edges a bit. Totally optional — but it gives it a cleaner finish once engraved.
Step 3: Load Into XCS and Align
Bring the image into xTool Creative Space and line it up on your coaster using the aim measure tool. I like to let the image bleed off the edge just a bit — looks more natural and uses the full engraving area.
You can also drop in a rectangle that matches your coaster’s shape to help center your image, then delete the rectangle after you’re lined up.
Step 4: Invert the Image
This is the part most people forget: you have to invert the photo.
Why? Because slate is dark, and the laser lightens it. So black burns white and white burns... basically invisible. If you don’t invert the image first, you’ll end up with a washed-out face or weird ghost shadows. Invert it up front, and you’ll get proper contrast where it matters — especially around facial features and shadows.
Step 5: Dial in the Engraving Settings
Here’s what I used for this coaster on the xTool P2:
Power: 25%
Speed: 190–200 mm/s
Mode: Jarvis (bitmap dithering)
Lines per cm: 180 (can range between 160–200 depending on image resolution)
Every photo’s going to behave a little differently. Higher resolution images benefit from higher LPI (lines per inch), but that also increases engraving time. If in doubt, do a small test on scrap slate.
Step 6: Engrave and Finish
After you’ve framed it up and set your parameters, send it to the laser. This Bill Murray coaster took about 9.5 minutes to run.
When it's done:
Let it cool a bit
Wipe it off with a damp cloth or microfiber
You can hit it with another clear coat if you want to “lock in” the image or give it a more finished look
Results and Final Thoughts
Not bad for a first pass with that photo. I didn’t fine-tune the image too much, but even still, the final result looks sharp. If you’re doing these for gifts or selling them, definitely spend a little extra time prepping the image up front — it’ll pay off.
Slate can be a little unpredictable because of its natural texture, but once you get the hang of your settings, it’s one of the easiest materials to engrave on. No masking, no major cleanup, just spray and go.
If you want to see the full process in action, check out the video at the top of this post. Got questions or want to see a glass or leather version next? Drop a comment or let me know.
