Apply Mask to Image

Use Apply Mask to Image to hide portions of images that you do not want to engrave, or to divide them into more complex engraving patterns.

By default, image masking doesn't delete the data of the removed part of the image, it just hides it from view and doesn't output those parts to the machine.

Tip

You can use masking to remove the background of an image, for example to isolate a pet or person from an photograph — a great to get more clarity in an image that doesn't have a well-contrasted background.

Masking an Image

In addition to an image, masking requires a vector object, in any desired shape. The vector object must be:

Placed on either a Tool or Line layer
A closed shape, with a single, shared start and end point

You can use use rectangles to perform standard crops, but the shape can be a more complex path as well, or even a Group of vectors (including text) provided that the Group is all on the same layer. When shapes are placed on a shared layer, Grouped, and used for masking, the area between the shapes that would normally be solidly engraved with Fill Mode will be "filled" with the image instead.

To Mask an Image, select the image and vector, then go to Tools → Apply Mask to Image, or right-click the selection and choose Apply Mask to Image from the context menu.

To immediately Flatten the mask in the process, you can select Crop Image from the same menus instead — if you choose to Crop an image, you will be unable to remove or edit the mask.

Hidden Vector

If the vector is hidden by the image, use Push to Front to move it forward in the draw order if you're also using a Wireframe View Style.

If you're using a Filled View Style, adjust the order of the layers in the Cuts / Layers Window

Removing a Mask (Restoring an Image)

You can fully restore the original image in two ways:

Select the vector object you used for the mask and press Backspace/delete on your keyboard to delete it.
Select the image, right-click it, and choose Remove Mask from Image.

Editing a Mask

To change which parts of the image are revealed and hidden, you can edit the existing mask as you would any other vector object, for example with the Select, Edit Nodes, and Boolean tools.

Grouping

Once you have the mask as you want it, it's a good idea to Group the vector and image to avoid accidentally moving one without the other.

Flattening (Baking-In) a Mask

The downside of preserving the hidden parts of the image is that it can make masked images harder to align to other objects, but it is possible to permanently remove the hidden areas of a masked image (also called "baking in" the mask).

To do so, right-click the masked image and select Flatten Image Mask.

This also removes the masking shape, leaving you with a only an image in the shape it had been masked.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.