Welcome
What Beam Bench is, who it is for, where to go next.
Beam Bench is a desktop app that drives laser engravers and cutters. You load a vector or raster file, lay it out on a virtual bed, set power and speed per layer, and send the job to your machine.
I built it because I wanted this tool to exist. It's free, built by makers, for makers.
Beam Bench is provided as-is with no warranty. For laser safety specifically, defer to your machine's manufacturer documentation and read the Safety section before connecting a machine. See the terms for the full disclaimer.
Who it is for
People who already know what a laser cutter does and want a modern, fast tool to drive one. The docs assume you know what kerf is, what raster vs vector means, and what your machine's firmware is.
If you are new to laser engraving entirely, start with the Safety section anyway, work through Get Started, and use the Explainers when a term is unfamiliar.
Status
Beta. The core features work. Edges are rough in places. New features land regularly and old behavior sometimes shifts. Backwards compatibility is not a goal yet.
Language
The UI ships in 23 languages. Switch from the Language menu in the menu bar; see Menus → Language menu for the full list. Translations are community-contributed and the default is English.
Cost
Beam Bench is free. No paid tier, no license keys, no premium features. I make money through two sister sites for makers; if either is useful to you, you keep this app funded:
- PrintCutCarve.com: maker resources and community
- Craftgineer.com: AI tools for makers
If you find Beam Bench useful, the most helpful thing you can do is tell other makers about it and report bugs as you find them.
What is in this section
- System requirements: what you need to run the app
- Install Beam Bench: download and first launch
Next
Head to Safety before you connect a machine. Then walk Get Started end to end.