Start From and Job Origin: Put the Job Where You Expect

Why positioning feels confusing

LightBurn separates two ideas: where the reference point comes from and which point of the job is attached to that reference. Start From answers the first question. Job Origin answers the second for modes that use it.

Absolute Coordinates

With Absolute Coordinates, the LightBurn Workspace corresponds to the physical work area of the machine. Artwork placed near the upper right of the Workspace is intended to run near the corresponding area of the laser bed.

This workflow is especially natural on machines that home reliably to a fixed coordinate system. If the machine does not know where it is, absolute positioning cannot magically correct that.

Current Position

With Current Position, LightBurn uses the laser head's location at the moment you start the job as the reference point. The Job Origin selector tells LightBurn which point of the design should be attached to that location.

Example: if Job Origin is set to the center, position the laser head over the center of the material and the design will be arranged around that point.