Happy August! We have an abundance of new and exciting updates to share, so it took a little extra time to put this one together. Here’s what’s going on:
- We’re introducing a new customer spotlight series (and giving away a $1,000 Glowforge gift certificate to anyone who’s chosen for the spotlight)
- Reminder: the Glowforge referral program is a great deal
- Ponoko discount: a special offer for Glowforge owners on laser-cut parts for mass production
- Glowforge Air Filter builds are starting in Guadalajara
- We now offer even more ways to buy: find the Glowforge Plus on Amazon
- We’re showing off Glowforge off during an Amazon livestream on Monday, August 13 - tell your friends who are curious and thinking about buying
- Recapping some of our latest improvements: metric support, updates to Glowforge Pro cooling, and a faster workspace and camera
$1,000 Customer Spotlight: It’s amazing what you’re doing with your Glowforge
Every day, I open social media and search for @glowforge. Now, I’m not a big social media guy. But if I need a quick pick-me-up, or a reminder of why I do what I do at work every day, or just a moment of dazzle and delight, that’s where I go. I get it from you. The incredible creativity and joy of this community is infectious and delightful.
I want more people to be able to share in this joy, so we’re trying out a new spotlight program. We’re going to pick a Glowforge owner, share their story, and highlight their work. We think it’ll spread around even more inspiration, and of course we’ll put an enormous stack of credits ($1,000) in the chosen owners’ account so they can do even more of what they do.
We’d love for you to be one of them. If you’d like to be considered, there are two things will help us to find you a little easier:
- Tag us with @glowforge and
- Share your referral code (more on that below)
That’ll help us find your work! For starters, the team discovered our customer Timothy’s leathercraft that way. Some of you might recognize his work from the forum. We loved it so much, we asked him to tell us a little bit about how he got started:
Our first customer spotlight, Mars Leather Company
Glowforge Referral Program
Did you know:
- 1 in 3 Glowforge owners are referred by a customer like you?
- For every customer you refer, we write you a check for up to $500 or give you a Glowforge gift certificate of up to $600?
- Your referral code gives your friends and family a discount of up to $500 on their order?
- That referral discount is the absolute best price on a Glowforge available anywhere, bar none, so you’re helping your friends get the best deal possible?
We started the referral program because we have a marketing budget, and we’d rather give it to you than buy ads with it. We have the best customers in the entire world. If there’s any way we can redirect our marketing budget into supporting you, we want to do it.
And support you we have. Lots of folks have picked up a few hundred dollars by introducing a friend or two.
My suggestion? Every time you make something you’re proud of, post it with your referral code. The most common question our customers get asked about their work is - what made that? Help people find the answer, get an amazing discount, and join the Glowforge community. Also, free money.
You can find your very own referral link here:
https://glowforge.com/referrals
Be sure to read the terms and conditions too before posting.
Ponoko discount: a special offer on laser-cut parts for mass production
When I was first learning about laser cutting, I used the terrific service at Ponoko. Its affordability and simplicity was part of what inspired me to start Glowforge. I just spent an hour telling the story to my friend Derek, CEO of Ponoko, who recounts the whole story here:
And then the both of us got to thinking. Now, as a Glowforge owner, you don’t need to send laser jobs elsewhere… but sometimes, it just makes sense. Got a hundred items to print and no time to watch the run? Or maybe you want to try taking a Glowforge design and printing it in metal - something only an industrial laser can do. I hear time and again from Glowforge owners who are scaling their business, and if you’re making 1,000 of something, it can make more sense to have someone else do it.
Particularly when they’ll do it for 35% off.
Glowforge owners can get this exclusive discount on laser cutting at Ponoko by using this discount code on checkout.
ponoko.com discount code: HIVSUK
Glowforge Air Filter builds are starting in Guadalajara
The Glowforge Air Filter has been many years in the making as we’ve met the challenges of making a filter that works to our standards, but still looks sleek in your house. We’re excited to share that the first factory-built units are being produced now. These units are destined for testing, not customers, but they bring us closer to shipping. We can’t wait for a world where you can stick your Glowforge anywhere with power and wifi, odor-free. They look incredible. I can’t wait to see the results - we’re working hard to get them to be as fantastic as you deserve so we can ship them to you.
This is also our first product to be produced with our manufacturer, Flex, in their Guadalajara facility. We chose Flex as our manufacturing partner because they are experts in placing products at the factory best suited for the product and production stage, with operations around the world. We’ve been working with them to find the facility best suited to mass produce thousands of air filters, and we’re excited to work with the team at Guadalajara to bring this product into full production.
Glowforge Plus officially on Amazon
We’re happy to share that we’re taking another big step toward making Glowforge more accessible to everyone by launching the Glowforge Plus with the Amazon Exclusives program. Now, the next generation of owners will be eligible to get their printers delivered to their doorstep with free Prime shipping. We couldn’t have gotten to this milestone without all your support - thank you.
Tune in to Amazon to see Glowforge in action
We’re going to be showing off Glowforge on Amazon with a special livestream on Monday, August 13 at 1 p.m. PDT. Look closely - alongside a slew of new stuff, we’re going to showcase some customer projects from around the forum that you might just recognize. I’m going to be interviewed live on air by Amazon host Dimpy Sethi, showing everything from MacBook engraves to designing with PowerPoint.
For curious friends who may be interested in getting their own Glowforge, I’ll be doing Q&A sessions throughout the livestream where they can ask me their questions directly during the stream. Catch it the broadcast when it goes live at this link.
Latest Software Improvements
You can always see the most recent improvements we’ve made to your Glowforge on the Latest Improvements page. Here’s three of our favorites since the last update.
Pro is even cooler
Thanks to your feedback, we’ve squeezed a few more degrees out of the enhanced Glowforge Pro cooling system by updating our software. Glowforge Pro units now operate even better in the heat, and can operate in warmer rooms without pausing.
Glowforge goes metric
You asked for it, and it’s here! Work in the units you prefer by choosing between inches or centimeters in the settings menu in your workspace. Depending on what you choose, the ruler and height measurements will automatically use the correct unit. Along with this update, we’ve added the ability to do simple arithmetic in the text boxes, so you can indicate the material height is “0.25in + 2mm”! Full details and examples are here.
Speeding things up a bit
We’ve delivered two improvements to make your Glowforge printing experience even faster. First, we’ve improved the way the web interface works to make it load faster when you upload and edit your artwork. This is especially helpful on older or slower computers - it makes using the software more enjoyable and lets you get from idea to print faster.
Second, we made some improvements to the camera on your Glowforge. It takes pictures of your material at all the critical moments (like when you close the lid or change the material), and now it’s even faster - no more waiting for the camera to load.
Last but definitely not least - we continue to work on getting all of our international countries served. While we cleared delivery for the EU and the majority of our international customers months ago, the last countries are the hardest and are taking the longest. I apologize for the continued wait.
Join us for discussion on this update here. Thanks as always!
-dan