I hate keeping secrets. So it was a DOOZY to keep my mouth shut for the Aura launch! (check out July’s post if you missed that announcement.) Sitting on this amazing new product was agony. But finally it’s here, so I can share an anecdote I’ve been sitting on for about 9 months.
Last Thanksgiving, I brought my Glowforge Aura to an Airbnb on the Oregon coast to a test print (well, actually, a lot of test prints). After I got over my excitement about how portable this craft laser is (it fit in the car no problem even with two kids, a guinea pig, and all of our luggage), I printed up a storm — engraving notebook covers, cutting out puzzles, and taking requests from my family for custom earrings, keychains…you get the idea.
Look, it’s no match for a Glowforge Basic, Plus, or Pro. Those printers - our performance line - are 10x-12x faster than an Aura. They print on material twice as big, and twice as thick. They’re big and fast and amazing
But this is light, adorable, and less than $1200. It’s got a charm that’s like nothing I’ve ever used before.
And ever since thanksgiving, I was thinking about how much I wanted to share Glowforge Aura with all of you.
Cut to 9 months later: it’s July 25th, Glowforge Aura launch day. I was SO excited to finally get to actually talk about this thing we’ve been working on for so long! I even got an “aurange” colored t-shirt to customize and wear to the office. Unfortunately, this is where my excitement got the better of me.
I printed my launch day shirt with our Proofgrade Eco-Iron On, and completely forgot to mirror my design. Iron-on gets reflected when you apply it, so that resulted in a backwards image and a lot of laughs from my colleagues. In fact, the marketing team was so amused with my fail, that they insisted I appear in my first-ever TikTok video showcasing my backwards shirt.
(I made it at 2am the day of launch. How magical is it that you can make a custom T-shirt from your basement at 2am? And how frustrating is it that you can’t buy an orange T-shirt to replace your mistake at 2am?)
In the past couple of weeks following Glowforge Aura’s launch, one of my new favorite pastimes is browsing the Community Chat and the Forum to see all of the projects that folks have been making (particularly Iron-On projects. I’m taking notes.) It’s inspiring to see brand-new Glowforge Aura owners jump right into the community, and equally amazing to see folks who’ve had their Glowforge Pro or Plus for years round out their laser collection with Glowforge Aura!
Just look at this craft space’s setup:
(EliCoon, a longtime Glowforge customer, with a full house of Glowforge printers plus his new Glowforge Aura)
So much has happened over this last month and I can’t wait to share the latest with everyone (finally, no more secrets).
Bringing Glowforge Aura to your door
If you know someone looking for an Aura, they can pick one up in person at Michaels or JOANN stores - but be sure to call ahead! We’re hearing that they’re sold out in many stores around the country. To fix this, Glowforge Aura is now available to buy on Amazon and (shortly) through Glowforge.com. This means even more folks will soon be bringing their ideas to life at home with a laser — and I can’t wait to see the results!
More materials for Aura
To make your Glowforge Aura projects go even more smoothly, we’ve just added a whole bunch of new settings for Proofgrade materials. Now you can effortlessly print on thick plywood including basswood, maple, cherry, and walnut, as well as medium maple and red oak hardwoods.
We’ve also improved some of the cut, score, and engrave settings for Glowforge Aura - if you’re using Proofgrade materials those settings will apply automatically. Just sit back, hit print, and let your Glowforge handle the rest.
Community Chat: instant conversation with the community
We’ve made it even easier to connect with other Glowforge owners while you’re printing: now you can chat directly from the Glowforge App. Just hit print and join the chat to ask questions, share ideas and tips, and get connected with your fellow creators without ever taking your eyes off your print.
And don’t forget all the other goodness found in Community Chat. When you join you’ll be able to access more channels, participate in contests and giveaways, talk with me and @emilyhuh and the rest of the company, and crack jokes with (ok, about) Alina, our goofy AI team member.
Personally, my favorite part of Community Chat is seeing what you’ve created with your Glowforge. Show off your first prints through the # show-and-tell channel in Community Chat, or in the community’s Made on a Glowforge category. (Did you all catch these printed paper gift boxes made with Aura? Such a simple print, with such a big payoff!)
Instant help from our support team (and everyone else)
Last but not least: whatever you need, we’re here to help. The Glowforge community support team is now staffing the Community Chat #help channel during business hours (pacific time), and the entire community is around to help as well. If you have a problem, jump in and we’ll be there to make it right!
Between the Community Chat and the Forum, I’m overwhelmed by the number of incredible projects (and dad jokes) that have been shared between all of you creative, like-minded folks. Even as Glowforge grows with new products and fun ways to connect, our goal is still the same: to create a world where anyone can print anything. And together, we’re making that possible. Thank you for sharing your ideas, inspiration, projects, and prints, and for being a part of this incredible community. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create next.
Happy August 32! (Oops, let this one get away from me a little)