New to Light Lane? Here is how to set up, calibrate, and run your first engrave.

Every job in Light Lane uses one of five processing modes. The mode determines how the laser moves and what kind of mark it makes.

Vector Outline traces the edge of shapes. Use this for cutting, scoring, or engraving a clean outline around a shape. The laser follows the path at your set speed and power.

Vector Fill fills the inside of shapes with closely spaced horizontal lines. Use this for solid filled logos, text blocks, or any shape you want fully engraved rather than just outlined.

Raster Grayscale scans row by row and varies power per pixel based on brightness. A dark pixel gets more power, a light pixel gets less. Use this for portraits or photos where you want continuous-tone shading. It requires a GRBL machine in M4 dynamic laser mode.

Raster Threshold also scans row by row but converts pixels to either fully on or fully off based on a brightness cutoff. Pixels darker than the threshold burn, lighter ones do not. Use this for high-contrast logos or clipart with no gradients.

Raster Dither converts a photograph to a black-and-white dot pattern using a dither algorithm (Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson, or Bayer). The dots simulate tones by varying their density. Use this for photos on wood or leather when you want a photographic-looking result.

For your first session: import a simple SVG logo and use Vector Outline or Vector Fill. These modes are the easiest to understand. Once you get a clean result on scrap material, move to Raster modes for photo work.

The two main tools for finding settings in Light Lane are separate. Use whichever fits your situation.

The Material Test Grid runs a physical test on your laser. You set a power range (for example, 30-90%) and a speed range (for example, 600-2000 mm/min), choose a 5x5 or larger grid, and burn it on a scrap piece of your material. Each cell in the grid burns at a different combination of speed and power. You look at the result, click the cell that looks best, and apply those settings to your job. This is the most reliable way to dial in settings for a new material. It accounts for your specific machine's actual output.

The AI Engrave Assistant works differently. It is for adjusting image-specific settings on a selected image. You select a photo or graphic on the canvas, open the AI assistant, and describe what you want to improve. The assistant analyzes the image and proposes setting changes: DPI, dither algorithm, contrast, brightness, mode. It shows you a diff of what will change before anything applies. You click Confirm or Dismiss. This does not replace a test grid. It helps tune the image processing settings for a specific piece of artwork.