Questions & Answers

Free tools

Are the tools really free?

Yes. Every tool on the free tools page is free to use, with no sign-up and no account. There are no credits or watermarks.

Can I sell what I make with them?

Yes, sell what you make. The designs you put in are yours; just don't resell the files as templates or design packs. The fonts are open-licensed (OFL), and the libraries and AI models in the tools are under licences that allow commercial use; each tool lists them, with their licences, at the bottom. You are responsible for the photos, logos and words you add.

Do my photos get uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything runs in your browser, so your photos and designs stay on your device. Map tools fetch public map and height data for the place you pick: only the place and map area are sent, the same as any map website.

What machines and software do they work with?

Most tools download a LightBurn file (.lbrn2) plus SVG, and many also give PNG (with the right DPI), DXF for CNC and plasma, or STL for 3D printing. They work with diode, CO2, fiber and galvo lasers, CNC routers and 3D printers.

Do the files work with Glowforge and xTool?

They are made to. The SVG is made for the Glowforge app and xTool Creative Space, and most laser tools also download a LightBurn file (.lbrn2) with the layers already set up. Check the size and layers in your software, and set the power and speed for your own machine.

How do I open a file in LightBurn or xTool Creative Space?

In LightBurn, use File, Open for the .lbrn2 file, or File, Import for an SVG or DXF; cut and engrave arrive on separate layers. In xTool Creative Space, import the SVG. Check the size, then run a test on scrap.

Do the CNC tools make G-code?

The V-Bit Carving Studio makes G-code for GRBL, Mach3, Mach4 and LinuxCNC, and Box Maker and the Word Sign, Halloween Yard, Frame, Plate & Bowl Stand and Slice Sculpture makers have a CNC G-code download too. The other tools give DXF, SVG, STL or a height map for your own CAM software. Check every toolpath in your own software, and air-cut or test on scrap first.

Can I use the tools on a phone?

The tools are made to work in a phone or tablet browser: the preview stays in view while you change the settings, and ⛶ full screen gives the design the whole screen. A bigger screen is easier for detailed work.

Where are my saved designs kept?

In this browser, on this device only. The 📁 My designs button keeps the designs you save, each with a small picture, and nothing is uploaded. To move them to another computer, tap Back up to a file, then Add from a backup on the other one.

Can I share a design with someone?

Yes. Most tools have a "Copy a link to this design" button. The link holds your settings, not your photos, so the other person adds their own picture.

Can I edit the files after?

Yes. The laser tools download for LightBurn with cut and engrave (and score, where there is one) already on separate layers, and the SVG or DXF opens in Illustrator, Inkscape, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge for any further fine-tuning. Some tools edit in place too: Edit lines in Image to Outline, Arrange in Coin & Plaque and Tumbler Wrap, and Edit slices in 3D in Slice Sculptures.

Do I set my own laser power and speed?

Yes. The layers come separated in LightBurn, so you set the power and speed for your own machine. Where a tool fills in a starting point, it comes from your own Test Grid result or a common setting for the material; every machine differs, so test on scrap first.

Can I move or resize parts?

Yes, in several tools. Coin & Plaque's Arrange moves and resizes each part and sets its depth, Tumbler Wrap's Arrange moves, resizes or deletes any name, shape or centre piece, and Slice Sculptures lets you drag, nudge, add or delete single slices. Everywhere else, Customise more holds the sizes, and the SVG opens in your own software.

Can I change the road thickness?

Yes, in the Street Map Maker and on Layered Cutouts' lake & coast maps. Pick Thin, Normal or Bold, or set each kind of road, railway and river in mm, or hide one. A cut-out street map is kept no thinner than your thinnest-street setting, so it is designed to stay in one piece.

Can I make stock for a craft market or Etsy?

Yes, and you can sell what you make. Name Pendants, Pet Tags, the Christmas Ornament Maker and Layout Studio make a whole list of names in one file, and Random and Remix give a fresh, original design each time in tools like the Word Sign and Monogram makers.

Can you add a feature I need?

Yes, and it's free. Email info@a-a-ron-engraved.ca or ask in the Facebook group, and tell me what you make and what's missing. Many features started as requests, such as the word shelf and two-word sculptures in Slice Sculptures, mountains on lake maps and road weights on street maps, and they often ship within days.

Do you count how the tools are used?

The tools count only anonymous totals, such as how many times a tool was opened or a file was downloaded, so I know which tools to improve. Those counters use no cookies, and no names, words, photos or places are recorded. Site analytics and ad measurement run only if you accept them in the cookie banner; the Privacy Policy has the details.

Are the files guaranteed to cut perfectly?

No. The tools are new and not every option has been cut on every machine, and results depend on your machine, material and settings. Check your file and cut a test on scrap first. If something looks wrong, tell me in the Facebook group and I'll look at it.

Where do I ask a question or report a problem?

In the Facebook group, where other makers can help too, or by email at info@a-a-ron-engraved.ca. Tell me which tool, what you expected and what happened; a screenshot helps.

Image to Outline: what does it do?

It turns a photo or logo into clean lines for engraving or cutting: line art, shaded fills, a sticker cut line, or a single line down the middle of handwriting and signatures. Try it →

Image to Depth Map: what is a depth map?

A grey picture where light is high and dark is low. The tool uses AI to work out what is near and far in your photo and builds a smooth relief you can engrave in layers on a fiber or galvo, carve on a CNC, or 3D print as an STL. Try it →

Engrave Preview: why use it?

To see how a photo will look burned into slate, wood, tile, leather or a tumbler before you burn it, with the dither, brightness and contrast set for that material. It makes a customer proof card to send for approval, and you can try it before you even own a laser. LightBurn then takes the file for your own power and speed. Try it →

Layout Studio: what can I make?

Plaques, tags, ornaments, memorial pieces and more: pick a shape, add borders and curved words, and drop in your picture. Paste a list of names and the whole batch comes out on sheets the size of your laser bed, in one file: fifty ornaments for a market is one download. For pet ID tags, the Pet Tag Maker is quicker. Try it →

Layered Cutouts: what is layered art?

A picture cut as stacked layers of plywood, card or acrylic and glued together for a 3D look. Use a photo, a made-up landscape, or a real place on Earth as a topographic map, even with your own GPX run or hike on it. There's a 3D preview of the finished stack. Try it →

Name Pendants: can I cut metal name necklaces?

Yes. Cut stainless, brass, copper, aluminium, silver or gold on a fiber laser like the xTool F1 Ultra, or wood and acrylic on a diode or CO2 laser. Pick from 60+ fonts, add a second line, hearts or a birthstone, see it in 3D, and download for LightBurn, xTool Creative Space, DXF or STL. The tool aims to keep the pendant in one piece and warns you about thin 0.2 mm sheet; cut a test first. Try it →

Word Sign Maker: what makes each sign different?

Every decoration is generated fresh, and Remix gives a new design each time, so your sign is your own. Make it as one piece, layered with colours, or separate letters, with engraved details and a placement stencil for glue-up. Try it →

Christmas Ornament Maker: how does a layered ornament work?

Three or four layers are cut and glued together: a back with stars, snow or northern lights, a winter scene (and a midground with four layers), and a front with the name, engraved so it reads at any size. Each layer is designed to stay in one piece, the hanging hole goes through all of them, and Remix draws a new scene each time. A rounded square or rectangle can also hold a photo. Try it →

Box Maker: will the joints fit my material?

Set your material thickness and fit, and cut the small fit test first. If you've used the Kerf & Fit Test, Box Maker picks up your measured kerf and fit for you. Try it →

Hinge Maker: what is a living hinge?

A pattern of cuts that lets flat plywood or MDF bend. The tool makes living hinges, pin hinges and peg pivots, with test strips to find what bends in your material. Try it →

Kerf & Fit Test: what is kerf?

The width of material the laser burns away. Cut one small test, measure it, and the wizard works out your real kerf and the press fit you like, then Box Maker and Hinge Maker use it. Try it →

Tumbler Wrap Maker: will my wrap come out straight on a tapered cup?

That is what it is for. It makes taper-corrected templates and can pre-warp your art for a roller or chuck rotary, including stepped and curved wine tumblers. It shows the cup in 3D and makes a front, side and back proof for your customer. Cups and rotaries vary, so test on a spare cup first. Try it →

Star Map: is it the real sky?

Yes. It draws the real stars, constellations, Moon and planets for the place, date and time you choose, with the time zone worked out for that place. Engrave it, or cut the stars as holes for a night-light: a favourite wedding, anniversary and birth gift to sell. Try it →

Lithophane Generator: what is a lithophane?

A thin 3D print whose thickness changes so a photo appears when light shines through it. Make flat panels, curved panels, lamp shades or night-lights as STL files, with a lit preview. Try it →

Photo Jigsaw Maker: can I sell the puzzles?

Yes. Turn a photo into a puzzle from 6 to 300 pieces with a frame tray and fun whimsy pieces. The photo is engraved and the pieces cut in one file, and each puzzle's shapes are unique. Try it →

Pricing Calculator: how does it work out a price?

It adds your material, machine time and your own time, then works backwards to keep the margin you set after Etsy or other marketplace fees, tax and postage. It is an estimate to help you plan, not business or tax advice. You can save products to reprice in one tap. Try it →

Burn Time Estimator: how accurate is it?

Usually within about 20 percent. Time one real job and tap "Match it", and it calibrates to your laser so later estimates are closer. Try it →

Test Grid Generator: what does the test grid do?

It makes a LightBurn file of test squares, each on its own layer with its power and speed already set and labelled, so one cut shows you the best settings for a new material. Try it →

Pet Tag Maker: will the tag line up on my blank?

It is designed to. Pick your blank's shape and size, type the pet's name and your phone number, and you get the front, the back and a jig that holds a whole batch of blanks in place. Blanks vary, so check the fit on one blank first. You can also cut your own tags from wood or acrylic. Try it →

Monogram Maker: what kinds of monogram can I make?

Classic three-letter, couple and circle monograms in wreaths, shields and frames. Engrave them flat, cut them out in one piece, or make them in two layers. Try it →

Street Map Maker: can I map my own town?

Yes. Search any town, city or address and you get its streets, rivers and parks with the name and coordinates, ready to engrave, to cut out in one piece, or to stack in two layers. Set the road weight, or each kind of road in mm. Try it →

Coin & Plaque Maker: what do I get?

A 3D relief of a coin, medallion, plaque or memorial: an STL, a height map and depth slices, for fiber deep engraving, CNC carving or 3D printing. Move, resize and set the depth of each part by hand if you like. It gives no machine settings, because those depend a lot on your machine. Try it →

Photo Test Chart: how do I find my photo settings?

Burn one small chart of test faces, then pick the square that looks best. It tells you the dot spacing, power and speed that suit your laser and material, and can make a smaller chart to fine-tune. Try it →

Tumbler Jig Maker: what is it for?

It makes a cradle or rotary jig designed to hold your cup in the same spot each time, to help wraps and logos line up. It is new, so cut a test first. Try it →

Halloween Yard Maker: what can I make?

Yard decorations that stake into the lawn: tombstones with your own funny epitaph, skeleton and zombie hands, ghosts, bats and pumpkins. Pieces bigger than your laser bed are split into tiles that lock together, and you get LightBurn, SVG and DXF files. Try it →

3D Slice Sculpture Maker: how does it work?

Pick a starter shape or upload your own STL or OBJ (it is read in your browser, not uploaded), then choose interlocked slices, stacked layers, radial fins or a twisted stack. Type the thickness you measured, and you get nested sheets, numbered parts and an assembly guide for laser or CNC. Try it →

V-Bit Carving Studio: what does it make?

G-code for V-carving your words, a logo, or an SVG or DXF on a CNC router: true V-carves with flat bottoms, a clearing end mill for big areas, a hand-carved look or a quicker stepped style, and a 3D preview. It is still in development, so air-cut or test on scrap first. Try it →

Frame Maker: what can I make?

Picture frames for a pet or family photo, with a border of roses, wildflowers, leaves, paw prints or beads that Remix draws fresh. Make it in glued layers, engrave it in one piece or carve it on a CNC, sized for a wallet, 4 × 6, 5 × 7 or 8 × 10 in photo or your own size. Try it →

Plate & Bowl Stand Maker: will it fit my plate?

It is designed to. Tap a common size or type your plate, bowl, platter or record size, set how far it leans back, and the slots are sized for the board thickness you enter. It slots together from two pieces, or three for an Extra steady stand, on a laser or a CNC. Measure your plate and board, and cut a test first. Try it →

Trace & Decorate: what is it for?

Engraving patterns that fit a real object. Photograph a knife, an axe head or a tool on a sheet of Letter or A4 paper, get its outline scaled to its real size from the paper, then fill it with scrollwork, knotwork or damascus, add words, and download for a fiber laser, another laser or a V-bit. Try it →

Open the free tools →