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3D laser engraving software

A relief is not a darker photo. It is depth, cut layer by layer — and how the software turns grey values into depth decides whether it looks carved or stepped.

Reviewed by the Vextrify team, tested in our own laser workshops · Updated · How we test

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01

How 3D laser engraving works

The laser engraves the same area several times or with varying power, so some parts end up deeper than others. A depth map tells the software how deep each point should be: in most workflows white is high and black is deep, or the other way round. The software converts that into power levels and passes. On CO2 lasers, wood and acrylic carve well; diode lasers can make shallow reliefs, slower and with fewer clean depth levels.

  • Depth map: brightness stands for depth
  • Power levels and passes create the depth
  • CO2 carves deeper; diode reliefs are shallow
Open Relief Studio
02

Where the depth map comes from

The best results come from a real depth map, rendered from a 3D model or made in a relief tool. Vextrify's Relief Studio reads greyscale images as depth maps, can estimate a plausible relief from an ordinary photo on your computer, and takes SVG shapes with a bevel as well as STL and OBJ models as a top view. A photo estimate is a starting point, not a scan.

  • Greyscale depth map as the best source
  • Photo to relief, estimated locally
  • SVG with bevel, STL and OBJ as height maps
03

Avoiding the staircase look

Visible steps appear when the depth is split into too few levels or when passes stack unevenly. Relief Studio has anti-banding modes (smooth gradient, ridge preserve, stepped on purpose, material safe), depth smoothing with edge and ridge protection, and a layer preview that shows the steps before you engrave. Roughing, finishing and cleanup passes can be planned separately, with horizontal, crosshatch or contour finishing.

  • Anti-banding modes and depth smoothing
  • Layer preview before engraving
  • Roughing, finishing and cleanup passes
04

Settings come from a test strip

Depth per pass depends on the laser, the lens, the material and even the batch of wood, so there are no universal numbers. Engrave a short test strip with a few depth steps on the same material, measure it, and save the result as a relief preset; the material family can be wood, leather, metal, acrylic or glass, stamp or topography. The job can be exported as a LightBurn project or run from the desktop app.

  • Test strip on the same material
  • Save the result as a preset
  • Export to LightBurn or run in the desktop app

Common questions

Can a diode laser do 3D engraving?

Shallow reliefs, yes, slower and with fewer clean depth levels than a CO2 laser. Test on the same material first; a short test strip shows how many depth steps your laser can separate.

What file do I need for 3D laser engraving?

Ideally a greyscale depth map. Vextrify also takes SVG shapes, STL and OBJ models, and can estimate a relief from a photo locally.

Why does my laser relief look stepped?

The depth is split into too few levels or the passes stack unevenly. Smooth the depth map, use an anti-banding mode and check the layer preview before engraving.