With this update, we have something amazing to celebrate.
Together, we printed 1 million Ear Savers
Less than two months ago, we set an audacious goal to get Ear Savers to 1 million essential workers. And I asked for your help.
The response was incredible.
As of today, Glowforge owners, and our own factories, have created 1,492,560 Ear Savers.
Each Ear Saver makes a big difference in the life of an essential worker. Doctors and nurses, delivery drivers and grocery staff, and so, so many more. Together, we’ve helped over a million of these heroes.
COVID-19 isn’t gone though. So we’re going to print 10 million more, and we’re going to keep giving them away for free.
If you’d like to contribute to this ongoing effort, you can sign up here. Our matchmaking software will pair you with a nearby essential worker who needs your help.
I’m so proud of this community. Within seconds of asking for help, Glowforge owners stepped up. Folks who’ve been with us since our crowdfunding campaign, others who’ve only recently joined us, and even people who just bought a Glowforge specifically to help fight COVID-19. All of you were united in your desire to make a difference for others.
I’m so proud, and I’m so grateful.
Glowforge Air Filter Cartridge can now be used to upgrade your Compact Filter
When we designed the improved Glowforge Air Filter, we tried to make the new cartridges compatible with the older Compact Filter design too. We completed testing and they work perfectly together. The Glowforge Air Filter cartridge lasts about 20% longer, regardless of which air filter you use. You can purchase it in the Glowforge shop.
Pro Passthrough beta expanding
Thanks so much to everyone who has volunteered to be a beta tester! We’re continuing to enable machines in waves as we add support for older machines. If you’d like to be added, you can apply here. You’ll get an email to let you know when it’s enabled for you. We’ll also be enabling it automatically (no need to apply) for new machines purchased starting today, June 25th.
If you’ve been added to the beta, read this tutorial to get started: https://glowforge.com/support/topic/first-three-prints/pro-passthrough
Please keep in mind that our customer success team won’t be able to answer questions about this feature yet. If you have a question, run into an issue, or want to provide any other feedback, please do so here: Pro Passthrough Release
1 million prints per month… and Proofgrade shortages
Together, we created more prints last month than any month in all of Glowforge history. In fact, May was our very first million print month!
But at the same time that we’ve been having record print volumes, we’ve been having record challenges in keeping Proofgrade materials in stock. Our operations team has been working long hours to keep our factory open, and can no longer travel to meet with suppliers. There’s a global acrylic shortage. Suppliers of wood, leather, and other products are experiencing their own challenges with staffing because of the crisis.
We apologize. We’re working to keep a variety of materials in stock, but we don’t know how soon stock levels will return to normal. In the meantime, if there’s a Joann near you, they may have the Proofgrade material you want in stock for curbside pick-up.
Your Glowforge keeps getting better
There’s amazing new features all the time - the full list, with details about each improvement, is here. Some recent highlights include:
- We have new creative tools like stars and rounded corners as part of the Glowforge Premium beta trial.
- The default setting for scoring Proofgrade materials is faster.
- The preview images in your design library are updated after you open them so they’re higher resolution and use the colors from your design file
- There are tool tips to make the software easier to learn.
- You can now search for solutions at support.glowforge.com!
The most amazing thing in my garage is no longer my Glowforge
In February, a group of Glowforge owners decided to create the ultimate collaborative art project: the Pentagonal Hexecontahedron. They created 60 tiles, each completely different, that assembled into an incredible piece of interactive art.
Then lockdown hit, and the whole thing was delivered to my garage.
Tiles included tooled leather from @GaryZ, a Woods of the World assortment from tjleasa, a powered LED lightup sign from @chris1, a magnetomechanical mystery device from the Knights Templar delivered by @timjedwards, and of course a hedgie from @jules.
It has a place of honor next to the Glowforge in my garage!
You are a part of something very special
It’s easy for me to lose sight of the transformation Glowforge is causing in the world, but our Ear Savers project helped me remember.
A few hundred years ago, technology changed how things were made. No longer would things be made at home; instead, they’d be mass-produced in factories half a world away.
Together, we’re changing that. We’re taking back our ability to create things for ourselves. And nowhere is that more clear than over the past few weeks, when we helped over a million people with the tools in our homes.
The need hasn’t gone away (you can print and deliver Ear Savers for your community by signing up here). But no matter the cause, this new superpower is ours: we own our own means of creation.
I’m so lucky to be a part of this with you.
–dan
(You can discuss this update here)