Skip to content

Offset Shapes

Quick Reference: Offset Shapes

  • Offset Shapes

    Creates an outline around selected shapes, at a specified distance away or within.

  • Location

    Modifiers Toolbar

    Tools → Offset Shapes

  • Keyboard Shortcuts

    Windows: Alt+O

    Mac: Option+O

  • Keyboard Modifiers

    Hold Ctrl/Cmd and click to apply the last-used Offset parameters.

The Offset Shapes tool creates a new shape by outlining the shapes in your selection at a distance you specify, either inward, outward, or in both directions at once.

It's great for making borders around text, cut lines around engravings, and a variety of patterns.

Offset Shapes works with any vector graphic, including paths, Primary Shapes, and Text Objects. You can offset multiple shapes, as well as Grouped shapes, all at the same time.

Using the Offset Shapes Tool

To open the Offset Shapes tool, first select all shapes you'd like to offset, then go to Tools → Offset Shapes, click the Offset button in the Tools Toolbar, or press Alt/Option+O to open the Offset dialog window, where you establish the settings that will determine the size, shape, and direction of your offset.

Offset Shapes window

  • Offset Distance controls the amount the new shape will be offset away from the original. Adjust the distance by typing a value into the adjacent field, clicking the arrow buttons, hovering over it and scrolling with your mouse wheel, or dragging with two fingers, if you're using a trackpad.

  • Direction determines on which side of the original shapes the new offset shape will be created.

    • Outward (left) offsets away from the original shapes.
    • Inward (right) offsets in toward the center of the original shapes.
    • Both creates two new offset shapes, one Outward and one Inward from the originals.

    Note

    You can only create Inward offsets for shapes that are closed, meaning they are complete, continuous loops whose start and end nodes are the same.

  • Corner Style controls the style of the corners in the offset shapes. You can choose Round, Bevel, or Corner.

    Corner Style and Inward/Outward Corners

    Corner Style affects outward- and inward-pointing corners differently — offset corners are only beveled or rounded when they're created in the direction a corner points. In the opposite direction, offset corners are always corners as well.

    Notice the difference in the inward and outward offsets for the letter T below. The corners of the outer offset are beveled and rounded where the corners of the T point out, while the corners of the inner offset are beveled and rounded where the T's corners point in.

    Offset Shapes inner/outer corner demo

  • Each switch beneath Options can be enabled or disabled. When enabled:

    • Outer shapes only: will ignore any shapes contained within others when creating the offset, leaving just the outermost border.

      Use Offset Shapes to create a cut around a complex engraving

    • Select resulting objects: will select the new path you created upon completion of the offset.

    • Delete original objects: will delete the objects that you had selected before opening this dialog, replacing them with the new offset.
    • Optimize / Simplify results: will reduce the number of nodes in the result, great for reducing file size of complex objects such as image traces.

  • Click OK to create the offset, or Cancel to discard the settings and exit the window.

Tip

To repeat an offset with the last settings you used, select the shapes you wish to offset, then hold Ctrl/Cmd while clicking the Offset button. It will perform the offset operation using the previous settings, without bringing up the dialog.

When you open the Offset dialog window, the offset that will be created as the result of your settings will appear in your Workspace, and will live-adjust to reflect settings changes you make.

Offset Shapes example

Tips

  • If you need to offset every vector in your design to compensate for the thickness of your laser beam (for example in the case of fitted parts) check out Kerf Offset in the Cut Settings Editor instead.
  • Offset Shapes can sometimes fix odd or broken vectors by running the offset with a Distance of 0.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.