Why we built Lightlane: faster, friendlier laser engraving

If you’ve ever sat there watching a progress bar while a simple job crawls through “import → fix paths → guess speeds → pray it streams,” you know the pain. We built Lightlane to cut all that friction. Clean UI, sensible defaults, and a straight line from design to done.

This post is the quick origin story, what makes Lightlane different right now, and what’s coming next.

The problem we kept running into

Too many steps for simple jobs. Importing an SVG or image shouldn’t feel like a mini-project.
Clunky interfaces. You can be powerful without being confusing.
Device anxiety. Will it stream? Will it drop? Will it home the wrong way?
Guesswork on materials. Beginners and shops alike waste time on test tiles.

We wanted an app that felt like open file → preview → press go, with the right details ready when you need them.

What Lightlane does differently

1) A UI that stays out of your way

Panels you actually use, where you expect them.
Clear layer stack, quick toggles, no mystery icons.
Keyboard shortcuts for common actions.

Goal: you focus on the piece, not the software.

2) Smart import and previews

Drag in SVGs, PNGs, or JPGs. Lightlane cleans up paths automatically.
Instant preview shows what the laser will actually do, not a pretty lie.
Quick warnings before you waste material.

3) Sensible, tweakable presets

Material presets for common woods, acrylics, leathers, and card.
Speed/power suggestions tuned to hobby diode and CO₂ ranges.
Save your own shop presets so the whole team is consistent.

4) Hardware that “just connects”

Hobby (G-code) support baked in.
Pro (Ruida + G-code) streaming with tight handshakes.
K40 support is in active development. If you’ve got a stock M2 board, we’re aiming to make your life easier.

5) Reliability first

Stable streaming, clear progress, safe stops.
Offline activation for workshop PCs that aren’t on the internet.

Who Lightlane is for (today)

Hobbyists who want a friendly start without training videos just to frame a cut.
Side-hustlers and small shops who care about repeatable presets and time saved per job.
Larger shops who care about consistent results and want their team to have a nice engraving experience.
Schools and makerspaces that need simple onboarding and fewer “what went wrong?” moments.

What’s shipping next

These are the small, high-impact updates we’re lining up. They’re practical, and they make for great “what’s new” posts and videos:

QR/Barcode generator inside the app. One click, done.
Cost estimator. Helpful for pricing and planning.
Template starter pack. Ready-to-cut keychains, coasters, tags.
Basic AI assist for images. Clean up a photo for engraving with one pass.
K40 Support. Support M2 nano controllers for a much nicer experience then existing softwares.

If you want one of these prioritised, tell us. Early users steer the roadmap.

Pricing that makes sense right now

We’re in a Founders window while we ship fast:

Hobby – US$100 one-off
Pro – US$200 one-off (G-code + Ruida, K40 support when ready)
Education/Enterprise – chat to us for volume and deployment

Buy once, keep it. Simple.

How to try Lightlane

Download the app activate your FREE TRIAL, and run a small project you know well.
Compare the time from import to “Start.”
Save one preset and reuse it tomorrow. If that doesn’t shave minutes, hold us to it.

👉 Get Lightlane and start a free trial.
Questions? Ping us at [email protected] or hop into the community.

Help us make this perfect

Lightlane is better when you tell us where it’s rough. If something feels slow, confusing, or missing, we’ll fix it. If a feature saves you ten minutes a day, we’ll double down.

Found a bug or have a request? Submit feedback on our website.
Want to partner or review Lightlane? Email us
Got a K40? Contact Us To Join The Beta List

Let’s make the laser workflow the part you look forward to.

The Lightlane team