Grouping and ungrouping in LightBurn is one of the most important skills for organizing laser engraving designs efficiently. Whether you are arranging text, graphics, logos, or layered artwork, understanding how grouping works can help improve editing speed, alignment accuracy, and workflow management.

Table of Contents

• Quick Answer
• What This Guide Covers
• Why Grouping and Ungrouping in LightBurn Matters
• Before You Start
• Step-by-Step Tutorial: Grouping and Ungrouping in LightBurn
• Common Problems and Solutions
• Tips for Better Results
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts

Quick Answer

Grouping in LightBurn allows multiple objects to behave as a single object during movement, resizing, and alignment. Ungrouping separates the objects again so individual elements can be edited independently.

To group objects:

1. Select multiple objects
2. Right-click
3. Choose Group

To ungroup:

1. Select the grouped object
2. Right-click
3. Choose Ungroup

What This Guide Covers

This tutorial explains:

• What grouping and ungrouping means in LightBurn
• How grouped objects behave
• How to group multiple design elements
• How to ungroup designs for editing
• Common beginner mistakes
• Helpful workflow tips for laser engraving projects

This guide is designed for beginners using LightBurn with laser engravers.

Why Grouping and Ungrouping in LightBurn Matters

Grouping is essential when working with complex laser engraving layouts. Without grouping, individual elements can accidentally move out of alignment, causing positioning issues during engraving or cutting.

Using grouping features helps:

• Keep designs organized
• Maintain alignment between objects
• Move multiple items together
• Resize artwork proportionally
• Simplify editing workflows

Ungrouping is equally important because it allows you to modify individual parts of a design without affecting the entire project.

For users working on layered graphics, logos, signage, or production layouts, grouping and ungrouping improves efficiency significantly.

If you are learning other LightBurn workflow skills, you may also benefit from the official LightBurn Software website and additional tutorials from LONGER laser engraving guides.

Before You Start

Requirements

Before beginning, make sure you have:

• A computer with LightBurn installed
• A compatible laser engraver
• Basic familiarity with object selection in LightBurn
• A design file containing multiple objects

Follow official machine specifications or instructions.

You can also review beginner workflow guides from LONGER official tutorials.

Precautions

Before grouping or ungrouping objects, keep these points in mind:

• Make sure the correct objects are selected
• Avoid accidentally grouping unrelated design elements
• Save your project before making major edits
• Ungrouping may affect alignment if objects are moved individually afterward
• Complex projects may contain nested groups

If you are preparing a laser project for engraving, organizing layers correctly is also important. You may find additional workflow guidance helpful from LONGER laser setup resources.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Grouping and Ungrouping in LightBurn

Step 1: Open Your Design File

Action

Launch LightBurn and open a project containing multiple objects.

These objects may include:

• Text
• Shapes
• Logos
• Imported graphics
• Vector artwork

Expected Result

Your design appears in the LightBurn workspace.

Important Notes

Make sure all objects are visible and unlocked before continuing.

Step 2: Select Multiple Objects

Action

Click and drag your mouse around the objects you want to group.

You can also hold the Shift key while clicking individual objects.

Expected Result

All selected objects display selection handles.

Important Notes

Only the selected objects will become part of the group.

Carefully check your selection before grouping.

Step 3: Group the Objects

Action

Right-click on the selected objects and choose:

Group

Expected Result

The selected objects now behave as a single grouped object.

When moving or resizing the design, all grouped elements move together.

Important Notes

Grouping does not merge objects permanently. It only organizes them into a temporary editable group.

This is useful for:

• Logos
• Multi-part artwork
• Text with decorative elements
• Production layouts

Step 4: Move the Grouped Design

Action

Click and drag the grouped object.

Expected Result

All grouped elements move together while maintaining their original spacing and alignment.

Important Notes

This helps prevent accidental movement of individual components.

Grouping is especially useful when preparing engraving layouts for batch production.

Step 5: Resize the Group

Action

Drag a corner handle of the grouped object.

Expected Result

The entire grouped design resizes proportionally.

Important Notes

All objects inside the group scale together.

This helps maintain accurate positioning and proportions.

Step 6: Ungroup the Objects

Action

Select the grouped object.

Right-click and choose:

Ungroup

Expected Result

The objects separate into individual editable elements again.

Important Notes

After ungrouping, each object can be edited independently.

Be careful when moving objects after ungrouping because alignment may change.

Step 7: Edit Individual Objects

Action

Click on a single object after ungrouping.

Expected Result

Only the selected object becomes active for editing.

Important Notes

You can now:

• Resize individual elements
• Change text
• Modify shapes
• Adjust layer settings
• Reposition objects independently

Step 8: Regroup If Necessary

Action

Repeat the grouping process if you need to organize the design again.

Expected Result

The edited objects become a new group.

Important Notes

Many LightBurn workflows involve repeatedly grouping and ungrouping during design preparation.

Common Problems and Solutions

Tips for Better Results

Keep Related Objects Grouped

Group logos, labels, and decorative elements together to reduce accidental movement during layout adjustments.

Use Layers Alongside Grouping

Grouping organizes objects spatially, while layers organize engraving settings. Combining both methods creates a cleaner workflow.

Save Versions of Complex Projects

Before ungrouping complicated artwork, save a backup version of your project.

This helps prevent accidental layout damage.

Zoom In When Selecting Small Objects

Small vector elements can be difficult to select accurately.

Zooming in improves precision during grouping operations.

Check Object Alignment After Ungrouping

Ungrouped objects can shift accidentally during editing.

Always verify spacing and alignment before engraving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I group objects in LightBurn?

A: Select multiple objects, right-click, and choose Group.

Q: How do I ungroup objects in LightBurn for beginners?

A: Select the grouped object, right-click, and choose Ungroup.

Q: Does grouping merge objects permanently?

A: No. Grouping only organizes objects temporarily so they behave as one object during editing.

Q: Can I edit objects after grouping them?

A: You typically need to ungroup the design first before editing individual elements.

Q: Why are my objects moving separately in LightBurn?

A: The objects may not have been grouped correctly. Select them again and apply the Group command.

Q: What is the best way to organize designs in LightBurn?

A: Use both grouping and layer organization to keep artwork aligned and engraving settings consistent.

Q: Can grouped objects be resized together?

A: Yes. Grouped objects resize proportionally when scaling the group.

Q: Why is the ungroup option not working?

A: The selected object may not currently be grouped. Verify that the object was grouped previously.

Final Thoughts

Learning grouping and ungrouping in LightBurn is a foundational skill for laser engraving design workflow. Proper grouping helps maintain alignment, simplifies movement, and improves overall project organization.

For beginners, mastering these basic editing tools can make complex engraving projects much easier to manage. As your projects become more advanced, grouping and ungrouping will become an essential part of your daily workflow.

To continue improving your LightBurn skills, explore additional tutorials and laser engraving resources from LONGER official website and the LightBurn documentation center.