Shaper Tools adds Studio design tool and Plate fixture

Shaper Tools demonstrated a new 2D digital design tool, Shaper Studio, at IWF 2022.

The company, known for its flagship Shaper Origin self-guiding router, says Studio doesn’t require any previous design experience or the use of a sophisticated CAD program.

“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we could create a design tool that’s really easy to use, and really focused on the features that woodworkers care about,” Zach Dunham, the company’s head of marketing, told Woodshop News at the show.

“We know in terms of our software that it’s purpose-built for craftspeople. And the whole point is to spend as little time as possible designing so you can get back to doing all the fun stuff.”

The web-based Studio can be used to produce and edit designs on a phone, tablet or computer. It provides users unlimited access to more than three million pre-made designs or they can quickly create their own with the Shape Shifter tool. When a design is completed, Studio exports the file to sync directly with the Shaper Origin. The product is also compatible with other design fabrication products such as Glowforge and Cricut.

Shaper Studio costs $99 a year and has a 14-day free trial.

The company also introduced Shaper Plate, a universal template and fixture for the Origin that was designed to connect digital designs with physical workpieces. It can be used to quickly install a hinge or door pull, for example.

“What we’re doing at Shaper is bridging the digital and physical world, says Dunham. “[The Shaper Plate] makes the Origin a lot faster and a lot more portable in a number of different scenarios.”

For more, visit shapertools.com.  

This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue.