Dithering algorithms
What each raster-mode option does, and when to pick it. Lifted verbatim from the in-app help.
When you engrave a photo, Beam Bench has to decide where the laser fires and at what power across thousands of pixels. The choice of method is called a raster mode. Some modes vary power (grayscale); others stay binary (the laser is either on or off) and create the illusion of tone by varying where the on-dots fall (dithering).
The right choice depends on the material and the image.
The modes
These descriptions match the in-app help text on the image-layer settings UI.
Grayscale
Variable-power grayscale. Each pixel burns at a power proportional to its brightness. Best for photos on materials that respond well to laser tonal variation (e.g. anodized aluminum, leather).
Threshold
Pure black/white. Pixels above the threshold are skipped, below are burned at full power. Best for line art and logos.
Floyd-Steinberg
Classic error-diffusion dithering. Good general-purpose choice for photographs. Produces soft tonal gradients.
Ordered dither
Bayer-matrix ordered dither. Faster than error diffusion, produces a visible cross-hatch pattern. Good for repeating patterns or when deterministic output matters.
Stucki
Stucki error-diffusion dithering. Wider error kernel than Floyd-Steinberg, produces smoother tonal gradients at the cost of more computation.
Jarvis (Jarvis-Judice-Ninke)
Similar to Stucki but with a slightly different error distribution. Good for very high-detail photos.
Sierra
Sierra error-diffusion dithering. A middle ground between Floyd-Steinberg and Stucki.
Atkinson
Only distributes a fraction of the error, producing crisper edges and higher contrast than Floyd-Steinberg.
Halftone
Ordered-dither approximation of a printer halftone screen. Note: currently routed through ordered dither, not a true angle-cell halftone.
Newsprint
Ordered-dither approximation of a newsprint screen. Note: currently routed through ordered dither, not a true frequency-modulated newsprint.
Sketch
Approximate pencil-sketch effect. Experimental: prefer Floyd-Steinberg or Stucki for photographs.
How to pick
| Material / image type | Try first |
|---|---|
| Anodized aluminum photo | Grayscale |
| Leather photo | Grayscale (laser shows tonal variation on the surface) |
| Wood photo | Floyd-Steinberg or Stucki |
| MDF photo | Stucki or Jarvis (the slight smoothing helps) |
| Logo / line art | Threshold |
| Repeating geometric pattern | Ordered dither |
| Stylized poster look | Atkinson (high contrast) |
If you do not know where to start, Floyd-Steinberg is the safe default.
How Beam Bench handles it
Set the raster mode in the Image layer settings, open the layer in the Cuts/Layers panel and pick from the Mode dropdown. The same dropdown carries the inline help text above as tooltips.
The dithering happens at plan time, not at import time. You can switch modes and re-preview without re-importing the image.
When it matters
Choosing the wrong mode is usually visible in the Preview, banding, blocky tones, or missing detail. If the preview looks wrong, change the mode before burning material.
Related
- Cuts / Layers panel
- Scan interval: line spacing on raster engravings
- Overscan: why the head goes past the edge
- Engrave a photo guide