Etch Express vs LightBurn
Short version: they solve different stages of the job, and many shops use both. LightBurn controls your laser and runs the cut. Etch Express sits upstream - turning messy customer orders into batch-ready designs and exporting clean files your laser software runs.
LightBurn is excellent laser-control software: layers, power settings, camera alignment, and a Variable Text feature that merges a CSV at run time. Where shops hit a wall is everything before the laser - reading orders that arrive as spreadsheets, PDFs, and handwritten sheets, designing a template, and laying hundreds of pieces out to the blanks. That's the gap Etch Express fills.
Side by side
| Etch Express | LightBurn | |
|---|---|---|
| Import messy orders (Excel, PDF, handwriting) | Etch ExpressAI parsing into an editable data table | LightBurnManual CSV / variable text setup |
| Design canvas with variable fields | Etch ExpressYes | LightBurnYes |
| Auto-layout to blanks or bed | Etch ExpressAutomatic grid from your dimensions | LightBurnManual array / arrange |
| Drives the laser / runs the job | Etch ExpressNo - exports SVG & PDF | LightBurnYes - this is its core |
| Material & inventory tracking | Etch ExpressBuilt in | LightBurnNot included |
| Works across machines & formats | Etch ExpressMachine-agnostic exports | LightBurnTied to your laser |
Choose Etch Express when
- Your bottleneck is order intake and batch design, not running the laser
- Orders arrive in inconsistent formats you retype by hand
- You produce big, name-driven batches and want auto-layout to your blanks
- You want material costs and inventory tracked alongside design
Stick with LightBurn when
- You need software that physically drives your laser and sets power/speed
- You want camera alignment and direct machine control
- Your jobs are simple enough that CSV variable text already keeps up
Bring your art with you
Wherever your plates were designed, they come with you. Drop in PDF, EPS, or SVG - they come back as living templates ready for LightBurn to run.
- Drop in PDF, EPS, or SVG - from whatever you design in today
- Plate size, layout, and fonts detected automatically
- Fixed names become variables - your designs, batch-ready
Frequently asked questions
Is Etch Express a replacement for LightBurn?
No - and it doesn't try to be. LightBurn runs your laser. Etch Express handles the work before the laser: parsing orders, batch-designing with variables, and laying out the run, then exporting SVG/PDF that LightBurn opens. Many shops use both together.
Can I send Etch Express files into LightBurn?
Yes. Etch Express exports production-ready SVG and PDF, which import directly into LightBurn or any software that accepts vector files.
Does Etch Express do variable text like LightBurn's CSV merge?
Yes, and it adds the steps around it: importing and cleaning the source data, previewing the longest entries, and auto-arranging the full batch to your blank dimensions.
See where Etch Express fits your shop
Try it free for 30 days. Bring a real order and watch a full batch go from list to production-ready in minutes.