Use the ellipse shape tool and give the object equal numeric width and height. A 30 mm × 30 mm ellipse is a circle in the artwork; dragging until an oval looks round is less reliable. This checks the design file, not the tolerance of a finished A1 Mini cut.
A new purchaser asked where to find circle creation in a January 13, 2026 LightBurn discussion; the response pointed to the shape-tool dropdown. Tool placement can vary with the installed interface, so look for the ellipse shape rather than a separate command named Circle.
Build one simple circle without guessing
In a supported LightBurn design workflow, open the shape selector, choose the ellipse tool, and draw a rough shape. Select only that shape. Check the document units, then set width and height to the same intended diameter. If proportional scaling is locked while correcting an oval, unlock it long enough to enter both dimensions independently; recheck both values afterward.
For example, use 30 mm for width and 30 mm for height as a practice drawing. Entering width alone while preserving an oval's proportions may simply produce a smaller oval. Zoom in to inspect the boundary, but trust the selected object's numeric dimensions rather than its apparent shape on a perspective photograph or stretched screenshot.
| A1 Mini circle preparation | Confirm before output |
|---|---|
| Selected object | One ellipse, not a group of several items |
| Units | Millimeters or inches chosen deliberately |
| Width and height | Equal to the intended design diameter |
| Placement | Inside the actual usable setup |
| Final operation | Engraved line or cut selected deliberately |
Position after setting the size
A size change can move the outline relative to the chosen anchor. Once the diameter is right, place the circle using the intended center or edge reference. For a circular border around a name, align the name and circle deliberately; the text's visual center may need separate inspection even when bounding boxes align.
If a selection rectangle keeps missing the small circle, check selection-box drag direction before repeatedly clicking and moving the artwork. Accidental movement is especially easy to overlook when the object occupies only a small part of the canvas.
Once a single true circle is dependable, three circles can become inputs for tangent-circle construction. Keep the original circles as shape objects until the chosen geometry tool has received the inputs it requires. A visually similar path may be a different object type.
The A1 Mini product listing describes a compact blue-diode craft machine with a 120 × 130 mm work area. That specification helps with layout planning, but it does not establish fixture clearance, acceptable materials, or guaranteed circular-cut accuracy. Use documented compatible stock and the supported setup for the actual machine before any physical trial.
Why does a 30 mm circle in the file produce a different finished diameter?
The drawing defines a path, while the physical process removes or marks a finite width. Verify scale, operation, and measurement method first. Any compensation should come from a controlled sample on the actual approved material and setup, not an arbitrary change to every drawing.
Can I make an exact circle by tracing a photo of a round object?
A photograph can include perspective and lens distortion, and tracing follows those pixels. For a known diameter, construct a numeric circle. Use tracing when the actual irregular silhouette is wanted, rather than assuming a traced photo preserves ideal geometry.
