Inside crystal, every bright part of the photo becomes thousands of tiny white dots, and dark parts stay clear glass. A few minutes choosing the right photo makes more difference than any setting.
Light matters most
- Soft, even light (shade, an overcast day, a bright window) gives smooth faces.
- Harsh midday sun leaves white patches on skin that burn as bright blotches.
- Avoid heavy filters and dark, moody edits: very dark areas simply stay clear glass.
Faces and people
- Faces should be in focus and fill a good part of the frame. Tiny faces in a big scene lose their detail.
- One or two people engrave best. Groups work too; DTO Crystal evens out the faces so no one is much darker than the rest.
- Mirrored sunglasses used to burn as busy speckle. The site now calms the lenses automatically, but clear eyes always look best.
Backgrounds
For people and pets, let DTO Crystal remove the background: the subject floats in clear glass, which is the classic crystal look. Keep the background for landscapes, places and scenes.
Size and sharpness
- Use the original photo, not a screenshot or a photo sent through a chat app (those are shrunk and blurry).
- Old prints work: scan or photograph them flat, in even light, without glare.
- The quality grade in the studio tells you before you burn if the photo is too small or soft.
Pets
Dark fur is the hardest subject in crystal because dark becomes clear glass. Choose a photo where the light catches the fur, and the site lifts large dark areas so they still burn.