Serial Number mode is safest when number formatting, object order, and physical part order are designed together. The goal is not only to produce unique text, but to prove which number lands on which blank.
Choose a format
LightBurn supports decimal serial formatting with d, hexadecimal with h or H, and zero-padded patterns built from 0. Keep one numeric system in a field: serial formatting cannot be split by inserting arbitrary characters inside the numeric format, and decimal and hexadecimal formats cannot be mixed in the same entry. Put fixed prefixes or separators in separate text where necessary.
Prove one item first
Set the Start, End, Current, and Advance By values. Use Test to check the first and last expected serial. Verify the font and width with the longest formatted result. Save the clean master before creating copies.
Add the array deliberately
Grid Array, Circular Array, and Copy Along Path can apply automatic Variable Text offsets. Confirm the copy order visually and compare it with the physical loading order. For batched layouts, combine the per-copy offset with Advance By so the next run starts after all items already produced.
