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Working with Catalog Designs

The Glowforge Catalog lets you create wonderful creations even if you don’t have the time, skills, experience, or inclination to design from scratch. It offers thousands of creations to choose from, and this article will help you get started using it. 

Whether you own a Glowforge or use another laser, Catalog designs are available to all Glowforge Premium subscribers.

Design Details

Every Catalog design (including (Free with Premium and Featured Designs) that needs assembly includes step-by-step instructions. When you select a Catalog design, the design details page opens automatically, so you can see if there are any additional instructions. Just follow the steps!

Note: Design details are only included with Catalog designs. Owner-created or uploaded designs don't include design details. 

Here’s what you can do with the design details window: 

      • To close the design details window, in the upper right, click HIDE. 
      • To open a design details window you have closed, on the upper toolbar of the workspace, click the three-dot More menu, and then click Design Details.
      • To get more room on your workspace and still see the design details, click Open in new tab. 

To discard any changes you’ve made and go back to the original design, click Reset design.

Modify Catalog Designs

You can modify Glowforge Catalog designs. For example, you can add your own artwork or text, adjust print steps settings, and more. Your changes will be saved automatically, so you’re free to create, knowing that your work will still be there even if you close your browser, or navigate to another page.

Undo Changes 

You can easily undo any changes you make. 

Here’s how:

      • On the upper toolbar, click Undo undo button. 

The Undo option is available as you work, until you close or refresh your workspace. At that point, the design is saved, so you can start again from that version. 

You can always reset a Catalog design to its original version by using the steps in the next section. 

Reset Catalog Designs

If you accidentally make a change that you can’t undo, or have any issues printing or assembling the design, you can reset it. 

Here’s how:  

      • With the design open in the workspace, click the three-dot More menu, then click Design Details. In the design details window, click Reset Design. 

You can also use this, for example, to reset a design that you've personalized as a gift, and now want to print with different personalization. 

Reset and Update Designs

We occasionally update and improve Catalog designs, often based on feedback from creators like you. If you open a design that’s been updated, you’ll have the option to reset and update it. 

Note: When you chose Reset and Update, it will permanently replace the previous version, including your customizations.

If you skip the update, you’ll have another chance the next time you open the design. 

Screenshot from Glowforge App showing option to update design

Export Catalog Designs
 
Catalog designs can be exported for use in any laser software. This allows you to take a design you've customized in the Glowforge App and open it in the software that drives your laser.
 
To export a Catalog design
 
1. Open the Catalog design in the workspace and make any customizations you'd like (add text, artwork, etc.).
 
2. Click the three-dot More menu and select Export Design.
 
3. Choose your export format:
- SVG — Compatible with most design and laser software.
- Lightburn (.lbrn) — Opens directly in LightBurn.
- xTool Creative Space (.xcs) — Opens directly in xTool Creative Space.
 
4. For multi-part designs, select which parts of the design to include in the export.
 
5. The file will download to your computer.
 
Notes on exporting Catalog designs
 
- Exported Catalog designs include your added artwork, text, and settings, along with the original Catalog design content.
 
- Each export is tracked and includes an embedded design ID.
 
- If you don't own a Glowforge: After exporting, open the file in your laser's software (such as LightBurn, xTool Creative Space, RDWorks, or LaserGRBL). You'll configure hardware-specific settings like power, speed, and number of passes in that software, then print from there.



 Commercial Use 

You may not sell, share, or redistribute Catalog digital design files or derivative works from those files.

Some Catalog designs are marked for commercial use. That means you can print them and sell the finished physical print.

To learn whether a design is licensed for commercial or personal use, click the design in the Catalog. The license information is in the description.
 

Screenshot from Glowforge catalog of example design available for commercial use

You cannot sell or use for commercial purposes prints created from designs that are licensed only for personal use.

Multi-page Designs

More complex designs may require different materials or multiple sheets of material. 

For example, this Acrylic Barrel Lamp is three different prints: 

Screenshot from Glowforge catalog of design with multiple prints in a series

- Glowforge owners: Print them in order and follow the instructions in the design details window.
 
- Other laser owners: When exporting, select the parts you want to print, then open them separately in order using your laser's software. Follow the assembly instructions in the design details window.
 

Learn more about Glowforge Premium.