Bitmap VS Vector: CNC Laser Engraving Bamboo

CNC laser engraving bamboo with a vector image of the CNCROi.com logo is a fun process but the reason why it looks so sharp across so many different materials and sizes is BECAUSE its a vector image, not a bitmap image.

The issue with sending us a colored bitmap is that not only does it produce a sub-par result due to the bitmap format itself that doesn’t scale and generally in a very low resolution but having anything but straight black and white also produces a lot more artifacts around it which further blur out the engraving result.

Here’s an example of what laser engraving bamboo out of focus using multiple passes produces compared to one light pass we’ll be looking at on this CNCROi.com blog post.

Notice the grain is far less apparent, as the difference between the light and dark grain is made dark and darker from the laser so there is less overall contrast on the laser engraved bamboo.

Whether we are engraving our logo onto wood or lamacoids or annealing or etching it onto metal, the vector image is what’s used because the results will always be sharp, repeatable and to the optimal resolution that produces amazing results.

Another example I did earlier to show the results based on focal length, speed and power is the custom award video below that shows you how the same design can have a radically different result using the same CNCROi.com logo.

I didn’t mask this laser engraved bamboo because I wanted to see what the resin content would have been, having full sanding capabilities means that CNCROi.com can make quick work of the material deposited on the surface of this cutting board.

You can see the same example onto stainless steel, again, it’s all about different settings in power, speed and focal length as the sharpness of the resolution independent vector will always be optimal for fantastic production results.

Laser engraving bamboo is exactly the same process regardless of the material to be engraved, or the process required to produce an amazing result but if it was a bitmap, then most of this work wouldn’t be very sharp or highly detailed.

CNCROi.com has laser engraved a lot of materials through the years across hundreds of videos on this website and exponentially more not documented for our customers.

Here’s another engraving of the CNCROi.com logo onto anodized aluminium this time around, it’s just as sharp and precise, thanks to our Austrian wide-format industrial laser, as this laser engraved bamboo you are looking at here.

The biggest difference between laser engraving a logo onto metal vs wood is that the “fumes” are different, with wood, it smells like a camp fire while with metal, there is generally none at all.

The bright light you see in these photos showcasing CNC laser engraving bamboo is the instant that the bamboo is vaporized by energy, it releases a small highly focused explosion.

CNCROi.com is also able to engrave vector images onto cylindrical objects such as bottles, at varying depth too!

Looking at this laser engraving bamboo from another angle, you can see that the micro explosions are not very high, just powerful and focused enough to produce the result CNCROi.com wants to achieve onto this wooden material.

Just to show you how diverse and flexible CNCROi.com‘s capabilities are, here’s the same vector image engraved onto a regular sheet of paper.

It’s pretty incredible if you think about it, the same laser that’s engraving (and can cut) bamboo can do the same on a very delicate piece of paper producing the same result.

The laser engraving bamboo is now finished, you can see the grain pattern very clearly and all the smoke and resin around the engraved areas on the surface of this bamboo butting board.

The bamboo cutting board is roughly 19 inches diameter, it’s a very good size and the engraving is totally permanent.

Another example of the CNCROi.com logo engraved, this time onto acrylic so you can compare the results across many materials that may be of interest to you.

Taking a look at the resin and vapor that settled onto the cutting board and how it compares in darkness to the earlier cutting board, you can see how amazing the difference in contrast can be on bamboo and most other dense woods when engraved by CNCROi.com.

After a light sanding, it’s night and day, everything is beautifully sharp and in-focus and when you run your fingers across it, you know it’s been engraved meaning it will not fade, crack or peel over time.

CNCROi.com can also easily refresh this board by sanding the surface off and re-engraving it, that’s a wonderful advantage that wood offers over most other materials.

A close-up of the resultant engraving, you can see how amazingly sharp everything is, that’s the power of vector images, if this was a bitmap, it would be “fuzzy” and blurry but vector, everything is exactly as it should be.

If you are looking for custom engraving, cutting, fabrication or promotional items custom-made to your specs, contact CNCROi.com right away!