Alignment, Origin & Framing
Getting your design positioned correctly on the part. The single most-confused area for new Lightburn users, and the one where a small mistake ruins a job.
The mental model
Two coordinate systems exist at once. Workspace coordinates live in your design (where shapes sit on the Lightburn page). Machine coordinates live on your laser (where the head physically is). The Start From mode determines how the two are mapped.
Galvo (Fiber MOPA): keep it simple
Galvo lasers ALWAYS use Absolute Coordinates. The Start From dropdown is grayed out. The galvo's "bed" is the field of view of the lens (e.g., 50×50mm for the 70mm lens, 110×110mm for the 150mm). Origin is the lens center.
Your workflow:
- Place the part in the field, ideally in a jig at known position.
- Position the design in Lightburn over the part graphic on screen.
- Frame to verify the bounding box lands on the part.
- Run.
That's it, no homing, no origin modes, no 9-dot selector to worry about.
Gantry (CO2): Start From modes
Three modes. Pick based on the job:
| Mode | What it does | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute Coords | Design's workspace position maps 1:1 to the bed. Requires homing. Job Origin selector grayed out. | Sheet stock at a fixed corner; pass-through cutting; jigs that snap to home. |
| Current Position | Origin = wherever the head is when you press Start. 9-dot Job Origin orients the design relative to that point. | One-off jobs on irregularly-placed material. Park the head over the corner of the part, hit Start. |
| User Origin | Same as Current Position but uses a STORED location set with Set Origin (Move panel) or the Origin key on the Ruida pendant. | Production runs where every part loads to the same fixture position. Set once, run many. |
The 9-dot Job Origin selector
Only visible in Current Position / User Origin modes. Tells Lightburn where on the design the origin point sits.
- Top-left dot selected: head position = top-left corner of design. Design extends down and right.
- Center dot: head position = center of design. Design extends in all directions.
- Bottom-left dot: head position = bottom-left corner of design.
Match the dot to where you parked the head. Park at the bottom-left corner of your part → choose bottom-left dot. Most natural for left-to-right reading designs.
Framing: the three styles (galvo)
Galvo's Live Framing window opens on F1. Three style options:
- Bounds: smallest rectangle that contains all graphics. Fast and reliable. Default choice.
- Hull: smallest convex outline (think wrap a rubber band around the design). Tighter than Bounds for irregular shapes.
- Contour: traces the actual paths of your shapes. Most accurate framing but slowest.
Toggles inside Live Framing: Frame Individually (loop one shape at a time), Image Bounds (include image edges), Outside Shapes Only, Tool Layers Only (frame only your jig outline).
Framing: gantry
- Bounding Box Frame (default), smallest rectangle containing all graphics. Most useful 95% of the time.
- Rubber Band Frame: convex hull around irregular shapes. Use when bounds wastes space (e.g., circular parts).
Tool layers: for jig outlines
A layer set to Tool in the Cuts/Layers panel doesn't output but is included in framing (when Tool Layers Only is on). This is how you frame a jig outline that isn't part of the engrave. Workflow:
- Draw a rectangle/circle matching your jig perimeter on its own layer.
- Right-click the layer color → Set as Tool.
- Frame with Tool Layers Only ON to verify jig position.
- Frame normally to verify the engrave bounds.
Common alignment mistakes (and how to dodge them)
- "My design ran in the wrong corner." Wrong Job Origin dot for your machine's home corner. Front-left machines need the bottom-left dot in Current Position mode.
- "Frame ran off the bed." Start From is on Absolute Coords but the design is positioned outside the workspace bounds in Lightburn. Either move the design into bounds or switch to Current Position.
- "Galvo frame is way bigger than the design." Use Hull or Contour mode instead of Bounds, irregular shapes get over-framed by Bounds.
- "My design rotated 90 degrees." Origin direction setting in Device Settings → Working Size doesn't match your machine's home direction. Verify with a fresh Get Position from the Move panel.
Verified against LightBurn 2.x. Source: LightBurn official docs. Coordinates / Origin, Laser Window, Move Window, Galvo Framing, Live Framing.