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Color Palette

In LightBurn, different colors indicate different layers. These colors don't represent the final product's colors but instead differentiate each operation needed to complete the job.

Use the Color Palette to assign colors/layers to graphics in your Workspace. A common convention is to use bright red for cuts and black for engravings, but how you use the colors/layers is up to you.

After assigning colors to your graphics, you can adjust their layer settings in two places:

Accessing the Color Palette

Color Palette

The Color Palette is located along the bottom of the Main Window by default, though a common alternative is docking it along the left side of the Workspace.

The colors currently used in your design will also appear as entries in the Cuts / Layers Window, where you can choose the operations that each color represents.

If you have closed the Color Palette, go to Window → Color Palette to re-enable it.

To restore it and all other toolbars and windows to their default positions, go to Window → Reset to Default Layout.

Tip

The layout of LightBurn is highly customizable. For more information on enabling and disabling windows and toolbars, or rearranging the default layout, see Customizing the LightBurn Window.

Change the Color for New Objects

New Objects

With nothing selected in your Workspace, click a color entry. Subsequent new shapes will be created in that color, and assigned to the corresponding layer in the Cuts / Layers Window.

Change the Color of Existing Objects

Existing Objects

With the objects already selected, click a color entry to switch them to that color, and assign them to the corresponding layer in the Cuts / Layers Window.

Tool Layers

There are two colors/layers at the end of the palette labeled T1 and T2. These refer to Tool Layers — special layers that have no cut parameters and will never be output to the laser.

Use Tool Layers to create non-output shapes in your designs. For example you can use them to:

Importing Graphics from Other Software

When importing graphics, LightBurn will attempt to match the colors used in that file to the default LightBurn Color Palette. Use exact matches for the colors used by LightBurn to ensure layers are assigned properly.

Downloadable Color Palettes

We have color palettes available for Inkscape, CorelDRAW, Affinity Designer, and Adobe Illustrator. The .ase file provided for Adobe and Affinity products can be imported into many other programs as well.

Download .gpl for Inkscape/GIMP

Download .xml for Corel Products

Download .ase for Adobe and Affinity

Please see your preferred program's documentation for directions on installing color palettes.

RGB and Hex Codes for the LightBurn Color Palette

The table below contains RGB and hex values for each of LightBurn's layer colors. You can use it to assign the right color for any software that doesn't support the above files.

Layer RGB Values Hex Values
00 rgb( 0, 0, 0) #000000
01 rgb( 0, 0, 255) #0000FF
02 rgb( 255, 0, 0) #FF0000
03 rgb( 0, 224, 0) #00E000
04 rgb( 208, 208, 0) #D0D000
05 rgb( 255, 128, 0) #FF8000
06 rgb( 0, 224, 224) #00E0E0
07 rgb( 255, 0, 255) #FF00FF
08 rgb( 180, 180, 180) #B4B4B4
09 rgb( 0, 0, 160) #0000A0
10 rgb( 160, 0, 0) #A00000
11 rgb( 0, 160, 0) #00A000
12 rgb( 160, 160, 0) #A0A000
13 rgb( 192, 128, 0) #C08000
14 rgb( 0, 160, 255) #00A0FF
15 rgb( 160, 0, 160) #A000A0
16 rgb( 128, 128, 128) #808080
17 rgb( 125, 135, 185) #7D87B9
18 rgb( 187, 119, 132) #BB7784
19 rgb( 74, 111, 227) #4A6FE3
20 rgb( 211, 63, 106) #D33F6A
21 rgb( 140, 215, 140) #8CD78C
22 rgb( 240, 185, 141) #F0B98D
23 rgb( 246, 196, 225) #F6C4E1
24 rgb( 250, 158, 212) #FA9ED4
25 rgb( 80, 10, 120) #500A78
26 rgb( 180, 90, 0) #B45A00
27 rgb( 0, 71, 84) #004754
28 rgb( 134, 250, 136) #86FA88
29 rgb( 255, 219, 102) #FFDB66
T1 rgb(243, 105, 38) #F36926
T2 rgb(12,150, 217) #0C96D9

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.