Method and apparatus for transferring images to a wooden support with a laser beam

A method for transferring images to a wooden support by an apparatus provided with at least one source of a laser beam, the method comprising the steps of:

• at least one of acquiring and creating an image to be transferred;
• editing the image to reduce noise or convert the image in shades of gray;
• identifying physical characteristics of the wooden support;
• determining geometric instructions for tracing a contour of entities reproduced in the image based on the physical characteristics;
• converting information of the image including the geometric instructions into instructions for adjusting emission, movement and focusing of the laser beam relative to said wooden support;
• moving, focusing, and adjusting the emission of the laser beam according to said instructions to reproduce said image on said wooden support, wherein the adjusting step comprises:
• adjusting the emission of said laser beam by directly varying at least one of (1) pumping of active material and (2) varying operation of a modulator placed within a resonant cavity of said at least one source of a laser beam;
• and
• locally subjecting said wooden support to irradiation by said laser beam, with an energy per surface unit ranging from 0 j/cm2 to 43.7 j/cm2, in order to blacken the surface portion of the support being subjected to said local irradiation,
• wherein the step of locally subjecting said support to irradiation is practiced such that said laser beam penetrates within said wooden support by a thickness ranging from 0.1 and 1 mm, and obtaining a reduced evaporation of water molecules contained in surface layers of the wooden support.