Get Started

This section gets you from a blank machine to a finished cut in ten steps. Each page is short and ends with a link to the next. If you have run a laser before, the early pages will move fast; do not skip the safety reminders.

Before you start, make sure you have read Safety. Lasers cause fires and blindness; goggles and ventilation are not optional.

The path

1. Install Beam Bench: download and install.
2. First launch: what you see the first time you open the app.
3. Connect your machine: discover the port, pick a profile, verify.
4. The workspace: canvas, panels, toolbars, rulers.
5. Import or draw: bring in an SVG or draw a rectangle to start.
6. Layers and cut settings: assign colors, set power and speed, order layers.
7. Frame and preview: frame the job, preview the simulated cut.
8. Save the project: .lzrproj files, autosave, where they live.
9. First burn: start the job, what to watch for.
10. What's next: pointers into Guides, Reference, and Explainers.

Where to next

If you want a task-driven walkthrough for something specific (a photo engrave, a kerf-compensated cut, a camera-aligned job), head to Guides. If you want to know what every panel, tool, and dialog does, head to Reference.