A system converts graphic images, such as those created by graphics applications, to a format that can be efficiently printed on a material by a laser printing system. An image can be converted to a set of locations by defining progressively smaller contours of the image, and a material can be marked by directing a laser beam according to the locations. Converting the image can involve identifying a set of points that trace boundary pixels of a marking area of the image such that the set of points form a contour of the marking area, removing the boundary pixels from further consideration with respect to defining the contours for the marking area, repeating the identifying and the removing until all pixels of interest in the marking area have been considered, and determining the locations from the identified points.