Is it really free? What is the catch?
Yes — free forever. There are no paid tiers and no charges, ever.
Maker Foundry makes money from the blanks and supplies we sell and from affiliate partnerships, not from subscriptions. The library is a way to help the maker community and bring people into it.
The only thing we ask is a free sign-in with your email (see "Why do I need to sign in?"), which keeps you in the loop on new features and deals.
How do I find a setting for my machine and material?
Start on the Library page (the home page when signed in). The fastest paths:
1. Type in the search bar — it matches material, color, brand, machine, and notes all at once. Try "P3 acrylic" or "basswood cut".
2. Use the filter dropdowns to narrow by manufacturer, machine, laser type, operation, and more.
3. Or switch to By Material to browse everything grouped by material.
Every result links to a full setting page with the numbers and an export button.
What do the source labels (Vendor, Community, Maker Foundry) mean?
Each setting shows where it came from so you know how much to trust it as-is:
- Vendor — from a machine maker's or material supplier's own library. Great context, but still test on your machine.
- Maker Foundry — shared or derived by us as a starting point.
- Community — shared by another maker. Helpful, but not verified for every setup.
No matter the source, always run a test on scrap first — see the safety notice on every setting page.
Why does it say to test on scrap first?
Because no two setups are identical. Tube age and wattage drift, lens and focus, air assist, material batch, ambient temperature, and mirror alignment all shift results. A setting from the library is a starting point, not a guarantee.
Run the setting on a scrap piece of the same material, check the result, and adjust power/speed slightly if needed. The built-in Test Grid Generator (see Tools) makes this fast.
How do I download/export a setting to my laser software?
Open any setting page and use the Export panel (you need to be signed in). Depending on the machine you get:
- LightBurn — a .clb library file. Import it in LightBurn and the material appears in your Material Library with no retyping.
- xTool — open it straight in xTool Studio, or download a .mxs file and import it in Studio via Materials → Import.
- Copy — copies the numbers as text so you can type them into any software.
The app picks the right format for the machine automatically.
How do I get a setting into xTool Studio?
Two ways, both from the setting's Export panel:
1. Open in xTool Studio — opens the setting straight in Studio, no file to manage.
2. Download the .mxs file, then in xTool Studio go to Materials → Import and select it. The setting loads with the correct process type (cut, fill/engrave, or line engrave) already mapped.
What is the Test Grid Generator?
On LightBurn-machine setting pages you will find a Test Grid Generator in the sidebar. Give it a center power and speed (it prefills from the setting) and it builds a ready-to-run .lbrn2 grid where each square is a different power/speed combination.
Run the grid on scrap, pick the square that looks best, and you have dialed-in numbers in one pass instead of many trial cuts.
What tools are included?
Six free tools, all under Tools:
- Quote Builder — build a branded one-page quote you can send a customer.
- Project Calculator — work out what a job costs you and what to charge.
- Setting Converter — estimate settings for a different wattage.
- Line Density Converter — convert between DPI, LPI, and line interval.
- File Converter — convert between LightBurn .clb and xTool XCS .json.
- QR Code Generator — make QR codes built for material, not screens.
None of them require any install — they run right in your browser.
What is a dynamic QR code?
A normal (static) QR code has the destination baked into the artwork. Once it is engraved on a tumbler or printed on a card, that address can never be changed. If the link dies, the code is dead.
A dynamic code instead points at a short link we host on mfco.app. The artwork never changes, but you can change where that short link sends people — any time, as often as you like, even years after the product shipped.
That means you can:
- Fix a link that broke or moved.
- Point a seasonal product at a new collection each year.
- Send a batch of printed cards somewhere new without reprinting them.
You also get a scan count for each code.
Both kinds are free. Static codes are unlimited; dynamic codes are capped at 25 per account because each one is a short link we host for you indefinitely.
How do I submit a setting I dialed in?
Click Submit in the sidebar (or the "Submit a setting" button) and fill in the form: machine, material, operation, power, speed, and any other fields you know. Add notes and a photo if you can.
Your submission goes into a pending queue for a quick review, then it publishes to the library credited to you. Sharing what worked for you helps the whole community.
