Norton White Tile Method
A fine-detail black-on-white photo engrave on cheap home-store ceramic tiles. CO2's signature trick.
Steps
- Buy cheap glossy white wall tile (4×4" or 6×6").
- Spray with white titanium-dioxide paint (Rust-Oleum White Primer 2X works). 2 light coats. Dry fully.
- Engrave with photo settings (below).
- After engrave, scrub off the unburned paint with water and a sponge. The image fuses into the glaze where the laser hit.
Settings (35-50W RF tube, 2" lens)
| Speed | 300 mm/s |
| Power | 22-28% |
| Line interval | 0.06 mm (~423 DPI) |
| Image mode | Jarvis dither, source image at ≥423 DPI at final size to match scan resolution |
| Air assist | Minimum (just enough to keep dust off the lens. Never fully off) |
If your source image is only 300 DPI but you scan at 423 DPI, Lightburn upscales the image and the dither pattern picks up resampling artifacts (visible as banding in the finished tile). Either resize the image to 423+ DPI before importing OR drop the scan interval to 0.085 mm (~300 DPI to match a 300 DPI image).
Tip
Run the same image at 3 power steps (20 / 25 / 30%) the first time. Compare contrast under daylight. Dial in once and your settings will hold for that paint + tile combo for years.