Happy April! It’s been a busy few weeks for us as we prepared to share Glowforge more widely…
It’s launch day!
When this all started, we hoped our creation would kindle some magic and inspiration with people. We didn’t know for certain, but we felt like we’d made something special. And it didn’t hurt to have a huge amount of people cheering us on: you, our amazing customers, who told us from the start you felt passionately about what we were making.
Today, based on your support and feedback, we’ve finally accomplished something we set out to do a long time ago: our product is for sale. Not for preorder, but available in inventory, for immediate domestic delivery (more on international below).
Most of you have your Glowforge already, although we know some of you are still waiting for international certifications, for your air filter, or for other reasons - we’ll share some updates below on that too.
But regardless, we want you to be the first to know all of today’s news:
- We’re introducing a much-requested new product, the Glowforge Plus - it has the speed and power of a Pro, but without the Pro Passthrough slot or enhanced cooling.
- We’re launching the Glowforge Basic, Glowforge Plus, and Glowforge Pro for sale today. As of right now, all US orders will be delivered within 10 days.
- We’ve updated our pricing and our referral program.
- We’ve released two new beta software features: the Glowforge App for iOS, and our first laptop engrave setting, for the MacBook Pro Silver.
- Proofgrade™ Passthrough materials are now available in the shop.
Glowforge Plus
We get hundreds of messages from you each week, and we read them all! One thing we’ve heard time and again is that some people want the upgraded components, double warranty, power, and speed of the Pro, but don’t need the Passthrough and the upgraded cooling. After taking into account all your feedback, we’ve created a new product that we’re able to launch this week - the Glowforge Plus.
You can learn more about the Basic, Plus, and Pro here.
Glowforge Basic, Plus, and Pro Available Now
As of today, US deliveries will arrive in 10 days. If you pre-ordered a unit for delivery in the US and haven’t heard from us that your unit is ready, your email got lost! Contact us at support@glowforge.com.
Note that we have limited inventory, particularly of the Basic models right now, so shipping times may vary. If that happens, our operations systems will immediately update Printers – Glowforge Shop with the updated shipping date so that people will know when to expect it before they purchase.
Finally, as a business, we’re constantly adjusting our pricing based on a variety of factors. The Pro pricing is $1,000 less, but we reduced the Pro referral discount by $1,000, so a Pro with your referral link is the same cost now as it was last week.
We were able to lower the price of our Glowforge Basic even more. There are a few Glowforge Basic customers who paid more but have only just received (or are still awaiting) their Basic unit. You do have the double warranty, $150 of materials, $20/month gift certificate, $50 Inventables certificate, $50 catalog certificate, 10% shop discount, and so on. But it still doesn’t quite seem right. If you only just received (or haven’t received) your Basic and paid more than the current Basic price, please email support so we can take care of you. (We’ll be a little swamped this week but will get back to you as soon as possible.)
International delivery
Today we’re also launching 3-week delivery in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Croatia.
We know that this list is not exhaustive, and many of you are waiting for regulatory and logistical approvals so we can ship to your country. We know this is frustrating, and we’re sorry. Our team is still hard at work going through the challenging processes we need to in order to get your Glowforge to you. We’ll keep you updated as we continue our work.
To see the latest forecast for when your unit will be delivered to you, whatever your country, just go to Glowforge - the 3D laser printer.
Glowforge App for iOS (beta)
When we launched our product, we said we’d make a great phone and tablet experience – today, we start making that a reality. We followed your lead when you told us that Apple devices were the most requested platform for support, so that’s the app platform we invested in first. Our iOS app gives you printing control right from your iPhone or iPad, and makes it easy to include a photo (even one you just snapped!) in your design.
You can download it here. We’d love to hear your suggestions so that we can make it the best we possibly can. Since this is a beta release, our support team can’t handle your questions yet - head to this forum thread to share your feedback and any problems you might find.
Engrave setting for MacBook Pro Silver (beta)
We’ve now made available settings to engrave the MacBook Pro Silver. This feature is the start of something we’ve been planning for a long time - automatic detection and engraving of common consumer electronic devices. To start, we’ve created a preset available in the materials drop-down that you can experiment with.
We know commitment can be scary - but just think of how much closer you and your laptop will be after a little time in your Glowforge!
Since the consequences of any problems are going to be etched in your laptop forever, we want to highlight: engraving your laptop is entirely at your own risk. The engraving could come out poorly, it could land in the wrong location, and it could void the warranty of your laptop. We’re pretty sure the laser beam won’t cut your MacBook clean in half, but let us know if it does. We still can’t do anything about it, but we’ll be impressed.
Also, since it’s a beta release, the support team can’t handle your questions yet - but if you’d like to compare notes and get tips on how to best tattoo your closest companion, check out this forum thread for tips and advice.
We’ve started with what we’ve seen is our customers’ most popular laptop, but we’ll have more settings coming. We’ll also be working on software to auto-detect your device so that your Glowforge can get the settings right automatically, improve alignment, and more.
New Proofgrade option: Pro Passthrough size
You’ll notice some exciting new updates in our materials shop. We had a huge number of requests for Proofgrade materials that can take advantage of the Pro Passthrough, and after spending some time getting these just right, we’ve added a slew of them to the shop. You’ll now see Pro Passthrough size materials for a selection of hardwoods, acrylics, plywoods, and Draftboard™. These can be used for bigger projects like a stool or end table, large-scale artwork and picture frames, or an ornate privacy screen - the possibilities are endless.
If you’re looking for inspiration, our new video features a lamp made of the Pro Passthrough-sized Walnut and Cherry. It’s highlighted with standard-sized Clear and Frosted Acrylic, and Walnut Veneer.
Referral program update
We’ve been sending hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments and Proofgrade to the amazing customers who’ve been sharing their Glowforge prints and their referral codes. You’re part of the reason why our community keeps growing stronger - thank you so much!
As part of our launch, we’ve updated your referral code with new discounts for all three models. Starting immediately, your referral code will give your friends discounts as follows:
- Basic: $100 discount for a friend, and either $100 cash or $120 in credits for you
- Plus: $250 discount for a friend, and either $250 cash or $300 in credits for you
- Pro: $500 discount for a friend, and either $500 cash or $600 in credits for you
Take a look at the Referrals page to learn more about the changes.
Air Filter
We’re hard at work getting air filters ready to ship - we know many of you are waiting on these, and apologize for the time it’s taken. Our team’s working to make sure this is the quality product you deserve.
Coming soon: glass change
We’re changing the glass designs in the next few weeks. It’s a purely cosmetic change, but we don’t plan to ever make units with the original glass again - meaning your first edition Glowforge will forever be an original collector’s item. We wanted you to be the first to know.
We’d love to hear your thoughts in the discussion topic here. Thanks as always for your feedback!
–dan