LightBurn’s Absolute Coordinates, Current Position, and User Origin modes solve different placement problems. Choose the mode from how the material is physically located and repeated, then frame the job and document the reference instead of relying on an operator’s usual setting.
Absolute Coordinates ties the design to the machine’s work area. Current Position uses where the head is when the job starts. User Origin uses a programmable reference established before output. LightBurn documents all three modes and the related Job Origin control in its current coordinate guide. LightBurn coordinates and job origin
Start From the Physical Placement Task
Begin with the material and fixture, not the software menu.
Use Absolute Coordinates when:
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The machine has a trustworthy fixed origin.
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The material is placed against known bed references.
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A camera overlay is calibrated to the machine work area.
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Multiple operators need the same file to land in the same bed location.
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The design’s position on the workspace is part of the process.
Use Current Position when:
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The job is a one-off.
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The operator physically places the head at the desired reference immediately before starting.
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The material is aligned visually or with a temporary mark.
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The starting position does not need to survive a reset or interruption.
Use User Origin when:
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A repeatable local reference is programmed on the controller.
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A fixture, jig, or work offset has a known origin.
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The operator may move the head after setting the reference but still needs the job to return to that point.
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The same local origin will be reused for a batch.
These are workflow choices, not quality rankings. A mode is appropriate only when its required machine state, fixture, origin, and restart assumptions remain valid.
The Job Origin selector determines how the design is oriented relative to Current Position or User Origin. It is not interchangeable with the machine’s home or machine origin. Confirm the exact device profile and current LightBurn terminology before releasing a workflow.
Absolute Coordinates Tie the File to the Machine Bed
With Absolute Coordinates, the design’s position in LightBurn’s workspace corresponds to its position in the machine’s work area. That is useful when the bed, machine origin, and material references are stable.
Sketch or document these points:
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Machine home or machine origin.
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LightBurn workspace origin.
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Artwork origin.
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Job Origin.
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Physical bed edges or stops.
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Camera overlay reference, if used.
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Material placement datum.
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The operator’s required framing point.
A correct-looking preview can still place the job outside the workpiece if the device profile, origin direction, bed orientation, or physical loading reference is wrong. LightBurn notes that absolute positioning requires a fixed origin; a small diode laser without homing switches may require manual homing before absolute placement can be trusted. LightBurn coordinates and job origin
If a camera is used with Absolute Coordinates, keep the camera overlay and machine work area aligned. Do not switch to Current Position simply because the material was placed by eye; that changes the coordinate logic and can make the overlay appear correct while the output is displaced.
Choose Coordinates From the Physical Datum
A datum is the physical reference from which placement is measured. It may be a corner, edge, pin, stop, center mark, jig origin, or the center of a round product.
Match the LightBurn mode to that datum:
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A bed corner or fixed machine reference generally fits Absolute Coordinates.
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A visible point under the head immediately before the job fits Current Position.
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A programmed fixture point fits User Origin.
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A symmetric product center may fit Current Position or User Origin with the Job Origin set to the center, provided the center reference is physically repeatable.
The nine-point Job Origin selector changes the point of the design’s bounding box used for placement. For example, centering the head over a coaster’s physical center requires a center-oriented job origin; choosing the lower-left origin would place the lower-left corner at the head instead. LightBurn describes this relationship in its positioning guide. LightBurn beginner coordinates guide
Do not assume that a familiar corner is the correct reference. The right choice is the one that matches how the stock is actually located and how the operator verifies clearance.
Current Position Starts Where the Head Is Placed
Current Position uses the laser head’s location when the job starts. This can be convenient for a one-off item, but it transfers responsibility to the operator and the controller’s current state.
Before starting, verify:
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The head is physically over the intended reference.
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The selected Job Origin matches that reference.
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The machine has a valid coordinate state.
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The material and fixture are secured.
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The job’s entire bounding box clears the bed, clamps, cables, enclosure, and other hardware.
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Framing shows the expected extents.
Check whether the controller and device retain position after power loss, disconnect, alarm, reset, or emergency stop. A displayed coordinate can be stale or invalid after a reference event. Rehome or re-establish the required origin through the documented procedure rather than trusting the previous screen state.
Current Position is not a substitute for repeatable fixturing. If several operators must place identical workpieces, use a documented physical datum or fixture and consider whether User Origin or Absolute Coordinates better represents that process.
User Origin Creates a Reusable Local Reference
User Origin is similar to Current Position, except the starting location is programmed before the job begins. LightBurn documents setting the origin by jogging to the desired location and using the supported Set Origin function; the exact method depends on the controller and device workflow. LightBurn coordinates and job origin
Use a User Origin only when the origin’s lifetime is clear. Define whether it remains valid after:
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Homing.
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Power loss.
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Controller reset.
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Alarm recovery.
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Disconnect or reconnection.
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Moving the machine.
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Moving the fixture.
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Changing the device profile.
Frame the entire job with the stock and fixture loaded. Check every extreme of the design, not only the lower-left point or center. Include raised clamps, rotary hardware, cables, enclosure boundaries, and any other obstruction in the clearance review.
A saved origin is not a measurement of fixture placement. If the jig moves, the origin can remain numerically valid while the physical result is wrong.
Frame the Job and Test Restart Assumptions
Framing is a physical verification step. It shows whether the selected mode, Job Origin, device profile, design size, and current machine state produce the expected boundary on the loaded stock.
For each released workflow, test:
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Normal start.
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Start after homing.
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Start after a documented repositioning step.
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Restart or recovery behavior when the workflow allows it.
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The full design boundary.
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Clearance around the material and fixture.
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The expected orientation and scale.
Create separate templates only when their origin behavior is explicit. Name them by machine, fixture, or workflow and store a simple diagram showing the physical datum and Job Origin.
Avoid one universal “laser template” that silently inherits a device profile, origin, camera overlay, or Start From mode from another machine. A template that is safe for flat stock may be wrong for a rotary setup or a raised fixture.
For a TwoTrees workflow, the TTS-20 Pro 20W laser engraver with honeycomb and air assist is a product page to inspect only after the coordinate requirements are understood. The listing does not prove that a particular fixture, camera, software profile, origin mode, or accessory arrangement will work for every configuration. Verify the exact model, controller, work area, software workflow, and current product details before purchase.
Assign One Start Mode to Each Released Workflow
Release a job with its coordinate assumptions attached. Record:
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Device profile and software version.
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Start From mode.
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Job Origin position.
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Machine or user origin method.
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Physical datum and fixture diagram.
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Framing result.
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Verified job extents.
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Clearance conditions.
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Restart rule after power, alarm, reset, or disconnect.
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Operator action required before pressing Start.
The operator should be able to answer one question before output: “What physical point is this file using as its reference, and how did I verify that point?”
If the workflow uses Absolute Coordinates, verify machine homing and the fixed bed reference. If it uses Current Position, require the operator to place the head and frame the job. If it uses User Origin, require confirmation that the programmed origin and fixture have not changed.
Do not release a job when the coordinate mode is selected by habit, the Job Origin is unexplained, or the machine state after a reset is uncertain.
A Wrong Corner Can Begin Below LightBurn
If the selected mode, Job Origin, preview, and frame all agree but the controller reports unexpected coordinates or starts from another corner, preserve that evidence. The problem may be below the LightBurn layout layer.
Investigate:
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Machine homing and origin direction.
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Firmware axis direction.
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Device-profile origin settings.
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Workspace conventions.
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Controller coordinates.
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Sender-controller state.
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Work offsets and saved origins.
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Whether the machine was rehomed after a reset.
Do not repeatedly move the artwork until the machine happens to engrave in the desired corner. That hides the coordinate mismatch and makes the file unsafe for another operator or device.
Consult the exact manufacturer and controller documentation when the displayed coordinates, machine origin, firmware direction, and physical movement disagree. LightBurn’s coordinate behavior depends on the selected device profile and controller type; documentation for another machine or firmware version is not proof of identical behavior.
The correct LightBurn Start From mode is the one that matches the job’s physical datum, survives the workflow’s restart conditions, and passes framing on the actual machine. Choose it deliberately, document it, and verify the complete coordinate chain before output.
