How to Laser Cut in Lightburn: A Laser Engraving Software Guide
While our laser engraving machines might be some of the best and most affordable selections on the market, you might be wonder how laser technology works if you're new to the field. Not to worry; we’re here to help!
OMTech laser machines utilize Lightburn, the best laser engraving software around. This intuitive software allows you to import, edit, and design your own projects all on one platform! The laser engraver software is linked to our highly capable laser machines, sending the instructions directly to the laser.
If you want to get started with your OMTech laser cutter, we’ll be guiding you through how to laser cut through Lightburn. Before you begin, you’ll need some 1/8th plywood, along with the laser settings for engraving and cutting the material. Once you have those, let’s get started on your custom name keychain!
How to Laser Cut in Laser Engraving Software
Step 1: With the text tool, write your name in a 15mm height on the workspace.
Step 2: On the left side of the text, create a circle about 5mm in diameter. You can achieve this manually or by setting the dimensions using the Width and Height boxes. (Tip: you can lock the height and width together using the padlock icon.)
Step 3: Simultaneously select the text and the circle by pressing CTRL while clicking the items. Apply the Offset Shapes function to create a 4mm outer offset.
Step 4: Assign the text to layer 02 (red), the circle to layer 01 (blue), and the outer offset to layer 00 (black).
Step 5: Use the select tool and drag a box around all the items. Choose Arrange → Group to keep them together. Now, when you select, all the items will move cohesively together.
Step 6: In the cuts/layer dialog, turn layers 00 and 01 to cut settings and layer 02 to engrave settings.
Step 7: Move the layers in the cuts/layer dialogue as follows: 02 (red), 01 (blue), and 00 (black). This ensures that the circle is cut before the overall shape while also giving you an idea of how the layers work.
Step 8: Lastly, send your finished product to the laser machine using the Laser dialog. After some work, you should end up with your own personalized keychain!
How to Laser Cut Multiple Items in Lightburn
If you’re running a small business or simply want to make multiple items at a time, the Lightburn feature Array will help you churn out more objects in less time.
To start your array, the first step is to create a guide to visualize how the workpiece will look like on the bed. For example, if you have a 300 x 400mm sheet of plywood, you would create a 300 x 400mm rectangle in Lightburn and assign it to the T1 (orange) layer. Note: this layer is not sent to the laser machine, and is meant to help with the layout.
Select the design you want to replicate and place it in the corner of the rectangle. Click the Array icon and determine how many copies you want. You will have to figure out how many you want on the X and Y axes, along with the spacing.
Play with the arrangement until you have filled the guide rectangle. When you send the design to the laser cutter, it will follow the cutting and engraving order from above, but on a larger scale. Soon, you’ll have your own production line and a bunch of finished products!
Create with Lightburn Today!
Once you get into it, crafting with Lightburn isn’t as hard as you might initially think. The user-friendly platform does take some time to learn, but once you start a project, it’s impossible to step away from! Fuel your creative processes with OMTech laser machines aided by Lightburn—the best software for laser engraving!
