Lùmen is a native macOS app for hobbyist laser engravers. Connects to GRBL diode lasers from Sculpfun, Atomstack, Ortur, NEJE, and TwoTrees over USB. Image engraving with 7 dithering algorithms, SVG cutting, dual-layer projects, material presets, and a clean SwiftUI interface that feels at home on a Mac. The Mac-first alternative to LightBurn: €9.99 one-time, no subscription. Built by an indie dev who got tired of running Windows VMs to drive his Sculpfun.
What's great
Wonderful software. Awesome job!
I was looking for something on macOS to pair with my hobby laser engraver, and Lumen has been exactly what I needed. Other options felt either too expensive or too cumbersome to work with, but this just works, and it works beautifully.
It connects flawlessly over my network and makes it incredibly simple to get started. I’m really looking forward to trying more of the new AI integration features, including the MCP integration, which connected to OpenAI Codex without any headache.
I’m also excited that it feels truly native to Mac. It’s clearly in active development, feels premium, and does not come across like an older product being limped along with a subscription.
Bravo, Dimitri!
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Thank you so much for this review! If you need new features do not hesitate to write me!
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What's great
I was searching for a good Mac based software to operate my new Artilume T1 laser and came accross Lumen. The learning curve was somewhat challenging for me - a neophyte with such programs. I was facing a Father's Day deadline to complete some projects, and Dimitri was extremely responsive with creating revisions to address many of the issues that any new software faces. While there still some refinements to be made that will make this program even better, I am confident that these will be addressed. I highly recommend Lumen.
What needs improvement
Menu structures more consistent with most Mac based programs; Add an undo feature which helps correcting mistaken entries without having to start over; Having an easier to follow setup process (e.g. laser home and start positions.). I am confident these will be addressed in the future.
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4 viewsThank you so much Jim for the review! I'm improving the app daily and I'm so happy to hear you like it!
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Hi Product Hunt! 👋
I'm Dimitri, an indie macOS dev. Lùmen started as a personal frustration — I bought a Sculpfun C1 Mini laser engraver last year, plugged it into my MacBook, and… nothing usable. The dominant software in this space, LightBurn, is cross-platform but feels foreign on macOS and recently switched to a $60/year subscription. The free alternative, LaserGRBL, is Windows-only.
Two options: run a Windows VM forever, or build the Mac-native app I wished existed. After several months of development, here's Lùmen.
What it does:
- Engrave images with 7 dithering algorithms (Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson, Burkes, Jarvis, Sierra, Sierra Lite, Stucki) — each tuned for laser output on wood, leather, slate
- Cut SVG vector paths with multi-pass support
- Dual-layer projects: combine an engrave layer (raster) and a cut layer (vector) in one job
- Device presets for Sculpfun, Ortur, Atomstack, TwoTrees, NEJE — pick your model and start
- Material presets (wood, leather, acrylic, slate) with starting power/speed values
- Safety countdown, framing preview with low-power laser pointer, automatic resume from a stopped line
- Project files that save everything: layers, settings, positions
What it's not:
- No CO2/Ruida support — only GRBL diode lasers
- No camera alignment or rotary axis (yet)
- macOS only
Pricing: €9.99 one-time. No subscription, no recurring fees. 3-day free trial on the website.
🎁 Product Hunt launch discount: 50% off for the next 7 days with code `PRODUCTHUNT`. €4.99 instead of €9.99. Valid until May 19.
Tech stack: SwiftUI + AppKit (NSView for the canvas where performance matters), low-level POSIX serial I/O to talk to GRBL firmware. Happy to nerd out on the technical side — there are fun rabbit holes (GRBL's character-counting protocol, stall recovery, the image-to-GCode dithering pipeline).
Would love your feedback — especially if you own a diode laser and a Mac, or if you've shipped niche hardware-control apps. What features would you prioritize next?
Thanks for taking a look 🙏