Why Does My Laser Engrave in a Different Spot Than I Placed It in LightBurn?
Almost always, it's the Start From setting. Here's what Absolute Coords, Current Position and User Origin each do, and how to pick the right one for your laser.
You lined up your design perfectly on the LightBurn workspace, pressed Start, and the laser burned somewhere else. This is one of the most common questions from new LightBurn users, and the cause is almost always the Start From setting in the Laser window. It tells LightBurn where the job should begin, and each option works very differently.
The three Start From options
Absolute Coords puts the job in the same place on the machine as it appears on the LightBurn workspace. It only works if the laser knows exactly where it is, which means a machine with homing switches. LightBurn’s documentation notes that small diode lasers without homing switches have to be homed by hand first; if they aren’t, the position won’t be reliable. Galvo lasers always use this mode.
Current Position ignores where the design sits on the workspace and starts the job wherever the laser head is when you press Start.
User Origin works like Current Position, but you choose the starting point once. Jog the head to the spot you want and set the origin (on a GCode controller, click Set Origin in the Move window; on a Ruida controller, press the Origin button on the machine). The laser then goes back to that point at the start of every job.
If your laser has no homing switches and you’re using Absolute Coords, or you’re using Current Position after moving the head, the job will land somewhere other than where you expect.
The 9-dot Job Origin grid
When you use Current Position or User Origin, the small 3x3 grid of dots next to Start From decides which part of the design sits at that starting point: a corner, an edge or the center. It’s grayed out in Absolute Coords mode.
Two things catch people out:
- The dots refer to an invisible box drawn around all of your artwork, not the artwork itself, so the starting point can look offset from your shapes.
- Choosing the center dot centers the whole job on the laser head, which is handy for lining up on a coaster or tag.
A quick routine that avoids surprises
- Pick the Start From mode that fits your machine: Absolute Coords if it homes reliably, otherwise Current Position or User Origin.
- If you’re using Current Position or User Origin, check the Job Origin dot.
- Press Frame before every job. The laser traces the outline of the job so you can see exactly where it will land before anything burns.
If framing traces the right spot but the job still starts somewhere else, post your machine model, controller and Laser window settings on the LightBurn forum, where staff and experienced users can help track it down.