# Print and cut in LightBurn: align artwork and cut paths

> Prepare paired print and cut files, add two alignment targets, register them in LightBurn and check the outline before cutting.

LightBurn's Print and Cut lines up a laser cut with artwork you printed earlier, using two printed targets. It works on gantry lasers and is a different method from camera alignment. MyLaserTools photo exports do not include these targets, so add them to your layout before you print.

## What you need

- A gantry laser that homes and knows its position, such as most CO2 lasers and diode lasers with limit switches.
- The printed artwork and its matching SVG, a printer, and a material that is safe to laser.

## 1. Build one aligned master layout



Export the artwork from the [Design Editor](/design-editor) or the [photo keychain](/photo-keychain-generator), with the print artwork and the cut paths in one layout. Add two small crosshairs outside the piece, as far apart as the sheet allows; the further apart, the more accurate the alignment. Print the artwork and both crosshairs at 100% scale, with the cut outline hidden. In LightBurn, keep the same crosshairs as vectors you can select. After this, never move or resize the artwork, the paths or the crosshairs on their own.

## 2. Register both targets



Connect and home the laser. Open **Laser Tools → Print and Cut → Start Wizard**. Jog the head to the centre of the first printed crosshair with the software or the controller buttons, select the matching crosshair on the canvas and record it. Repeat for the second one. Do not push the head by hand during this, or the laser loses its position.

## 3. Check alignment and output



Choose scaled alignment if your printer shrinks or stretches the print a little, or no scaling to keep the exact design size. Keep **Absolute Coordinates** on. Turn Output off for the artwork and crosshair layers so only the cut paths run. Check Preview, frame the job and try it on a scrap print first.

## The print-and-cut SVG in LightBurn



![Apple ornament imported in LightBurn with a red Line layer and a black Image layer](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/apple-ornament-lightburn-print-cut-import.webp)

The apple ornament imported at 86.000 × 92.075 mm: C02 is the Line layer for the cut, C00 the Image layer with the artwork.

The apple artwork is a picture inside the SVG, so LightBurn puts it on an **Image** layer and shows it in grey. LightBurn would engrave it, not print it. When you cut around an apple you already printed, **turn Output off for C00 Image**. Keep the outer shape and the hanging hole on the **Line** layer, and put your two crosshairs on a Tool layer, which never burns.

## Troubleshooting



- **The cut is rotated or shifted:** reset the alignment, check you recorded the crosshairs in the right order and register again.
- **The offset grows across the sheet:** the print is not at 100% scale, or the crosshairs are too close together. If you cropped or resized the print file on its own, rebuild it from the original layout.

## Manufacturer documentation



- [LightBurn Print and Cut requirements and wizard](https://docs.lightburnsoftware.com/latest/Reference/PrintAndCut/)

## Make it yours

Next: [using MyLaserTools with LightBurn](/learn/guides/using-mylasertools-with-lightburn), or go back to the [Learning Center](/learn).

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Open the example tool: https://www.mylasertools.com/photo-keychain-generator
Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/print-and-cut-lightburn