Glossary¶
Short definitions for terms you will see across this wiki and in LightBurn / machine manuals. Links point to deeper pages where we have them.
A–C¶
Absolute Coordinates
LightBurn start mode that places the job using the machine’s coordinate space (after homing), not wherever the head currently sits. See common LightBurn errors.
Air assist
Directed airflow at the cut/engrave point to clear smoke and reduce flame.
Anodized aluminum
Aluminum with an anodic coating; lasers often remove or alter the coating for contrast marks.
Beam alignment
Adjusting mirrors/optics so the beam travels centered to the focusing lens (common on CO₂ cabinets). See focus and alignment.
Bed / work area
The usable travel envelope of a gantry laser, or the marking field of a galvo system.
CO₂ laser
Infrared gas laser (~10.6 µm) strong on organics and acrylic. See laser types.
Current Position
LightBurn start mode that treats the current head location as the job reference.
D–F¶
Diode laser
Semiconductor laser (often blue ~450 nm) common in hobby gantry engravers. See laser types.
DPI / LPI / interval
Measures of how densely engraving scan lines are packed. See starter settings.
DSP controller
Dedicated motion controller hardware found on many CO₂ machines (e.g. Ruida-class ecosystems).
Fiber laser
~1064 nm laser delivered by fiber; strong for metal marking. See laser types.
Fill
LightBurn layer mode that engraves the interior of shapes with scan lines.
Focus / focal length
Where the beam waist is smallest; set relative to the material surface. See focus and alignment.
Frame
Previewing the job boundary (often with a red-dot or low-power trace) before running.
G–L¶
Galvo
Galvanometer-steered head that marks quickly inside a fixed field. See laser types.
GRBL
Common open-source motion firmware class used on many diode machines.
Home / homing
Sending the machine to a known reference switch location.
Interlock
Safety switch (often lid) that disables the beam when open.
Kerf
Width of material removed by a cut.
Layer (LightBurn)
Color-coded cut settings group (power, speed, mode).
LightBurn
Popular laser control/design application. See LightBurn basics.
Line mode
Layer mode that follows paths for cuts or scores.
M–R¶
Material Library
Saved power/speed/interval presets inside LightBurn.
MOPA
Fiber laser architecture with more flexible pulse control; useful for some metal color marks and sensitive jobs.
Origin
The machine or job zero reference. Misunderstood origins cause misplaced burns.
Pass
One complete run of a layer; multiple passes deepen cuts/engraves.
PMMA / acrylic
Common laser-friendly plastic when properly identified (cast vs extruded matters for edges).
PVC / vinyl
Chlorine-containing plastics that must not be lasered on typical shop machines. See what you can laser.
Rotary
Attachment that rotates cylindrical stock. See rotary engraving.
Ruida
Common DSP controller brand/ecosystem on CO₂ lasers.
S–Z¶
Score
A light vector pass that marks without fully cutting through.
Start From
LightBurn setting controlling how the job is positioned (Absolute, Current Position, User Origin, etc.).
Test grid
Matrix of small samples varying power/speed to find good settings. See starter settings.
User Origin
Operator-defined zero, handy for jigs.
Vector vs raster
Vector follows paths; raster/fill scans back and forth across an area (images are typically rasterized).
Wavelength
Laser light “color” band that drives material absorption and eyewear choice.
Workpiece coordinates
Positions relative to the part or job origin rather than raw machine home — terminology varies by controller.
More shop terms¶
Honeycomb bed — Open-cell bed that supports sheet stock while allowing exhaust underneath.
Kerf compensation — Offsetting paths so finished parts match drawn size after material removal.
OD (optical density) — Eyewear attenuation rating; must match wavelength and application.
PWM — Pulse-width modulation signal used to vary effective laser power on many controllers.
Slats — Blade-style bed supports that reduce backside flashback versus a solid plate.
Soft limits — Controller travel limits that stop motion before hard crashes when set correctly.
Go further¶
Primary next step
Master LightBurn¶
Structured LightBurn training from Bearded Builds — skip the scattered YouTube rabbit holes. Lifetime access with updates.
Also: Shop custom plaques · YouTube · Course hub