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🛠️ Getting Started with LightBurn: A Quick Guide for First-Time Users

LightBurn is a powerful design and control software for laser cutters. Whether you're engraving wood, cutting acrylic, or marking metal, this guide will help you launch your first project with confidence.

🔌 Connectors

  • You'll need to use a USB drive to get files to Lightburn computer
  • If you have a USB-C only USB drive, bring an adapter for USB-A.

🔌 Setup & Device Connection

  • Turn on the computer attached to the laser cutter.
  • First Child's computer is mounted on the wall - find the power button here when using First Child.)
  • Launch LightBurn (type "LightBurn" into the search bar)
  • Confirm your workspace size matches your laser bed dimensions.
  • If the laser cutter isn't responding to Lightburn, use "Find My Laser" if connected via USB, or manually enter specs for networked machines.

🖼️ Workspace Overview

  • Left Toolbar: Basic drawing tools—rectangle, circle, line, text.
  • Center Canvas: Your design area. Drag, resize, and position elements here.
  • Right Panels:
  • Laser: Controls for starting/stopping jobs.
  • Cuts/Layers: Assign power, speed, and mode (cut/engrave) to each design element.
  • Console: View G-code and send manual commands.

✏️ Creating Your First Design

  • Use shape tools to draw or import a file (.SVG, .DXF, .AI, .PNG). Prefer the three vector based formats vs the .PNG which is a raster based format.
  • Assign each object to a layer and configure settings:
  • Speed: How fast the laser moves. Try: 4 for cardboard, 1 for ply, 0.7 for 1/8 MDF.
  • Power: Laser intensity (as a percentage). Try: 15% for cardboard. 40% for 1/8" wood. 60% MDF 1/8".
  • Mode: Line (cut), Fill (engrave), or Offset Fill.
  • If you don't care about burned-looking edges, you can increase the power a bit, to make sure you make it through the stock.

📐 Positioning & Preview

  • Suggestion: For Line (cut) mode, try on cardboard first (light medium requires only Speed:4 and Power ~15%)
  • Different printers have different effective areas, even within the working space. Ask a shop host or on Discord if you're seeing uneven cuts across the working space.
  • Use the Frame button to test that the shapes will fit on the medium in the machine.
  • Click Preview to simulate the job and estimate time.

🚀 Sending the Job

  • Double-check your material placement.
  • Double-check that the machine is on (some machines need to be 'on' at the Power Strip) and that Lightburn sees it. You might need to restart Lightburn.
  • Double-check that the air is on by putting your hand under the cut head - you should feel a steady stream of blowing air. It comes on automatically, but you can check it if you're seeing irregular results..
  • The fan for all laser cutters is auto detecting: when a laser cutter turns on, the fan should turn on automatically. You shouldn't need to use the wall switch to turn the fan on or off.
  • Double-check the focal length by using the little orange acrylic tool (hang it on the arm). Other projects may have had a thicker project material; you will need to move the bed up or down until the orange arm rests exactly.
  • Click Start to begin the job.
  • Monitor progress and pause if needed.

🧰 Tips & Safety

  • Always wear safety glasses.
  • Ventilate your workspace.
  • Use scrap material to test settings before final runs.
  • When cutting stock with Line Mode, look for smoke coming from the underside of the project. This indicates it has successfully cut all the way through.
  • Re-running a cut twice is fine, but you do not move the stock. It is near impossible to get back in the exact same position after moving it.
  • First child sometimes needs a support bar to keep the top lid open

🧰 Advanced Considerations

  • Does project need fiducials? Design time is the best time to add them.
  • Does your project have lots of small bits and bobs? Consider adding numbering on the back-side of the bits before you cut.

🧰 Cleanup and Shutdown

  • Leave it cleaner than you found it
  • Turn off power
  • Shop vac any small pieces you see left in laser cutter
  • Unwanted larger scrap can be put in the labeled "scrap" bin so other members may use it