How to Invert Vector Images for Incredible Tumbler Engravings

When engraving on darker colored powder-coated tumblers, you might notice something strange - your design comes out looking like a photo negative. That’s because the laser removes the coating to reveal the shiny metal underneath, making dark areas appear light and light areas appear dark. The fix? Invert your artwork before engraving.

With photos or "raster" images, inverting is easy, you can do it right int he Lightburn, but with vectors it's tricker, hence this guide.

In this guide, we’ll walk you step-by-step through the process of preparing your design in Adobe Illustrator, setting it up in LightBurn, and engraving a clean, professional-looking inverted design on any tumbler or bottle - using the same method we used on our VertiGo laser.

🧠 Why Invert an Image Before Engraving

When engraving powder-coated tumblers or bottles, the laser removes the colored coating and exposes the bare metal underneath.

• On dark-colored tumblers, this looks light gray or white, which can cause a normal (non-inverted) design to appear like a photo negative.
• The fix: invert the design so that the parts you want engraved become black, and the parts you want untouched become white.

Rule of thumb:

The laser only engraves black areas in your design file.

Watch this guide, or read on!

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🧰 Tools You’ll Need

• Adobe Illustrator 
• LightBurn (or your laser software)
• Your laser with rotary attachment (e.g., VertiGo, OR a PiBurn  paired with any laser like a OneLaser, Boss, OMtech, Aeon, Thunder, Laguna, etc.)
• Powder-coated tumbler or bottle (Don't be afraid to mess it up!)
• Cleaning cloth and mild cleaner 

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🎨 Step 1: Prepare and Invert Your Vector in Illustrator

1. Open your design

2. Duplicate the design

• Copy and paste in place (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V) so the two versions overlap perfectly.

3. Rename layers

• In the Layers Panel, name the top one Outline. It's optional but it makes it easier to follow along with this guide.
• Keep the original one as your main design.

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🧩 Step 2: Create a Solid Outline Layer

1. Select the "Outline" layer and Open Pathfinder (Window → Pathfinder).

2. Click Unite → Merge → Unite again

This combines all paths into one solid silhouette, removing internal details.

3. Add a stroke

• Use 5–6 pt stroke for a visible border. Play with different thickness depending on your design.
• In the Stroke panel, set Corner → Round to smooth sharp edges.

4. Expand appearance

• Go to Object → Expand.
• Check both Fill and Stroke → click OK.

5. Unite again

Back in Pathfinder, click Unite again to create a clean solid shape with no internal gaps.

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🧱 Step 3: Invert the Inside of the Design

1. Go to your original layer

Change all black fills to white (this flips what will engrave).

2. Turn the Outline layer back on

Drag it below the main layer in the Layers panel (or use "send to back" command).

3. Select both layers → Pathfinder → Trim

This removes overlapping portions and keeps only visible edges.

4. Right-click → Ungroup.

Select any white areas (you might have to double-click inside the desing to do that, watch the fill icon in the left toolbar, when it turns white, you got it), then go to Select → Same → Fill Color → Pres "Delete" on your keyboard.

✅ Now you have an inverted vector, where:

• Black = engraved area
• White = untouched metal

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💾 Step 4: Export for Laser Software

1. Save your file as .AI or .SVG (LightBurn supports both).

2. Open LightBurn.

3. Import your vector file.

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🔧 Step 5: LightBurn Setup for Rotary Engraving

1. Set all graphics to same Layer

If you see more than one layer, change them all to "black" layer by selecting whole image, and clicking "Black Color" icon on the bottom. This will make all graphics follow same layer settings. 

2. Change Layer settings

In the layers panel change mode to "Fill"
Double-click the layer to open the Cut Settings Editor.

Recommended starting settings for VertiGo / 38W RF tube:

• Interval: 0.08 mm (≈ 300 DPI). Works great with 2.5" lens
• Speed: 500 mm/s
• Power: 50%

(Adjust as needed for CO₂ or fiber lasers.)

3. Measure your tumbler or bottle

• Measure the area that you will be engraving. If your object has different diameters, measure largest one.
  Example: my bottle's diameter = 70.5 mm
• LightBurn auto-calculates circumference = ~221 mm, which is the max engraving width.  Great to know if you are doing full wraps!

Resize your image if height allows. Since our image is pretty short, we changed width the circumference.

4. Rotary settings

• Enter diameter you measured previously in Rotary Setup.
• For VeritGo you don't need to change any other settings here!

5. Set origin

• Use Start From: User Origin
• Job Origin: Center
  (This makes it easy to align graphics to physical object using the laser’s red dot.)

6. Rotate your image 90°

If you are engraving object standing upright, rotate to 90 deg, if you doing it upside down (i.e. dog bowl, or bucket) then rotate -90 deg.

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🥤 Step 6: Physical Setup on the Laser

1. Mount the tumbler or bottle

• On VertiGo just Stand it upright .
• Use longer finger jaws or rubber pads to grip bottle securely. 
• If you are grabbing bottle from inside, remove cap, use 3 short jaws and place bottle upside-down.

2. Focus the laser

• VertiGo uses autofocus probe to set correct focal distance.
• With other lasers and rotary attachment you'll need to either use autofocus or manual focal gauge.

3. Position your design

• Move the laser head to where you want the center of your engraving.
• Press Origin on the control panel.
• Run a Frame test to preview engraving bounds.

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🚀 Step 7: Run the Engraving

• Close the door and turn on your fume extractor (or fan)
• Press Start.
• Typical engraving time: ~9 minutes (varies by design and settings).

 

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🧽 Step 8: Post-Processing

• Wipe off any powder coat residue using "Blu" or other powder coat residue cleaner.
• Rinse with water and dry with a microfiber cloth.

Result:
✨ A crisp, inverted engraving that pops beautifully on dark tumblers!

We hope you enjoyed this guide and it helps you get stunning engraves!