Cross-Line Lasers

High-quality cross-line lasers with cross-line projection

Q: What is the difference between light red (635 nm) and red (650 nm)?

Both wavelengths appear red to the eye, but light red (635 nm) sits closer to the peak sensitivity of the human retina than red (650 nm). Specifically: 635 nm light appears roughly 2× brighter than 650 nm light at the same optical power. Practical effect: a 20 mW light-red module looks visually comparable to a 40 mW red module – with a lower laser class and longer diode service life. Light-red modules are slightly more expensive to manufacture but pay off in brighter environments or where a lower laser class is required.

Q: Glass optics vs. acrylic optics – when which?

Acrylic optics (PMMA plastic): low cost, light, dimensionally stable. Optically very good in standard applications, but temperature-sensitive – the refractive index changes with temperature, shifting the focus when variation exceeds ±5 °C. Perfectly adequate for indoor applications with stable conditions. Glass optics: heavier, more expensive, but temperature-stable. The refractive index stays nearly constant across wide temperature swings. Ideal for: outdoor mounting, unheated halls, machines with large temperature swings (welding, sawmills in summer/winter) and applications needing high repeat accuracy over long periods. Glass optics are available as an optional upgrade on our KLM and LLM modules.

Q: What does &bdquo;stabilized and peak-free power supply&ldquo; mean (cross-line laser)?

Cross-line laser modules contain sensitive laser diodes that can be destroyed within microseconds by voltage spikes and current fluctuations. Stabilized means: constant output voltage under load, no sag during switch-on. Peak-free means: no switching spikes or overshoot on the supply line. Always use a switching power supply with sufficient smoothing or a dedicated laser diode driver. Avoid unfiltered supplies, cheap USB power banks without stabilization, and supplies shared with switching relays or motors. The DC variant of our modules includes integrated reverse-polarity protection.

Q: When is the optional glass collimator worthwhile?

The standard version of our KLM modules ships with an aspheric acrylic lens – sufficient for stable indoor temperatures. With strongly fluctuating operating temperatures (more than ±5 °C variation) the acrylic lens can shift focus – beam width changes and sharpness suffers. The optional three-lens glass collimator is significantly more temperature-stable: glass barely expands, so the focus stays constant. Recommended for: outdoor mounting, unheated halls, machines with large temperature swings (welding, sawmills in summer/winter) and applications needing high repeat accuracy over long periods.

Q: How big is the cross at a given distance?

The cross size scales linearly with distance. With a 90° lens angle on a 12 mm module, 1 m distance gives a cross with roughly 2 m line length per axis. At 2 m distance this doubles to about 4 m per axis. With narrower angles (e.g. 35°) the cross is correspondingly smaller: 0.62 m at 1 m distance. Note: as distance grows the cross gets not only larger but also wider in line width (beam divergence). For especially sharp crosses at a known distance, the focus is adjusted on the module (brass ring at the front).

Q: Which colour for which surface (cross-line laser)?

Red (650 nm): standard choice, lowest cost, sufficient in moderately lit environments. Light red (635 nm): noticeably brighter than 650 nm red at the same power, good visibility on most surfaces. Green (520 nm): appears roughly 5–7× brighter than red – the choice for very bright environments, visible in daylight, large distances or dark surfaces. Blue (450 nm): ideal on wood, vegetation, greenish or yellow surfaces – where red and green get lost in the background. Light blue (488 nm): high contrast on warm-light spectra, a special colour for surfaces such as red-toned woods.

Q: Cross-line laser vs. line laser vs. positioning laser – what are the differences?

Line laser: projects one line – ideal for cutting lines, paths and boundaries. Cross-line laser: projects two perpendicular lines as a cross (90°) – ideal for centring and aligning. Positioning laser with DOE optics: projects a pattern (crosshair, circle, search field, square) through a diffractive optical element – the image has constant brightness across the entire area, but the lines are inherently wider than with classic lens optics. In short: line for straight markings, cross-line laser for precise centring with sharp lines, DOE positioning laser for evenly bright patterns including the outer areas.

Q: What is a cross-line laser?

A cross-line laser (also called cross hair laser) projects two perpendicular lines (90°) – a true line cross – onto a surface. Unlike a positioning laser with DOE optics, the cross here is generated by two classic cylindrical lenses. Benefits: sharp, bright lines across the full image width, daylight-capable – good visibility even in daylight and bright environments. Typical applications are workpiece centring on CNC, sawing and drilling machines, microscope reference crosses, inspection stations and operator guidance at manual workstations. Cross-line laser modules are available in red, light red (635 nm), green, blue and light blue – each with adjustable focus.

Cross-line lasers – also called laser crosses or cross lasers – simultaneously project two perpendicular lines as a bright laser cross. They are used for high-precision component positioning, workbench alignment, midline marking and fast centring in machine building, manufacturing and logistics, as well as worker guidance at the workplace and reticle applications for cameras and sensors.

Lasershop carries cross-line lasers in red (635 nm), green (520 nm) and blue (450 nm) – as single modules, ready-to-use kits and in the industrial KLMi series and the rugged InLine series with IP65/IP67. Available with adjustable focus, fixed or variable line length and 5 V / 12 V / 24 V supply; manufactured at the MediaLas facility in Germany with OEM versions on request.

65 Products

Cross Laser module BLUE 40mW, adjustable

Variants from €130.90

€152.92

Cross laser module BRIGHT RED 4 mW, adjustable focus

Variants from €28.56

€40.46

Cross laser module RED 5 mW, adjustable focus

Variants from €21.42

€36.32

Cross laser set 40mW 450nm blue, ready to go

Variants from €227.89

€280.25

Cross laser set BRIGHT RED 4mW ready to go incl. mount

Variants from €136.85

€189.21

Cross laser set GREEN 5 mW ready to go incl. mount

Variants from €214.79

€236.83

Cross laser set RED 10mW, ready to go, incl. mount

Variants from €141.61

€161.27

Cross line laser InLine BRIGHT RED 10mW

Variants from €261.80

€396.27

Cross line laser InLine GREEN 10mW

From €279.65

Cross line Laser module GREEN 5 mW, adjustable focus, insulated

Variants from €117.81

€146.37

Cross laser kit 80mW 450nm blue, ready to go

Variants from €252.88

€317.76

Cross laser kit GREEN 10mW ready to go incl. mount

Variants from €214.79

€230.26

Cross laser module BLUE 80mW, adjustable

Variants from €157.08

€167.79

Cross laser module BRIGHT RED 10 mW, adjustable focus

Variants from €46.41

€58.31

Cross laser module RED 10 mW, adjustable focus

Variants from €38.08

€52.98

Cross laser set RED 30mW, adjustable, incl. mount

Variants from €148.75

€159.46

Cross line hybrid laser module 5 mW GREEN, 12 - 30 VDC, adjustable focus, insulated

Variants from €171.36

€195.16

Cross line laser InLine BRIGHT RED 20mW

Variants from €279.65

€303.45

Cross line laser InLine GREEN 25mW

Variants from €291.55

€433.16

Cross line Laser module GREEN 10mW, adjustable focus, insulated

Variants from €128.52

€166.63

Cross laser kit GREEN 25mW ready to go incl. mount

Variants from €257.63

€279.67

Cross laser module BRIGHT RED 20 mW, adjustable focus

€65.45

Cross laser module RED 30 mW, adjustable focus

Variants from €52.36

€64.26

Cross laser set BRIGHT RED 20mW ready to go incl. mount

Variants from €166.60

€216.01

Frequently asked questions about cross-line lasers

Cross-line lasers in red, green and blue: frequently asked questions

Answers about color selection for industrial applications in our cross-line laser category.

What is the difference between light red (635 nm) and red (650 nm)?

Both wavelengths appear red to the eye, but light red (635 nm) sits closer to the peak sensitivity of the human retina than red (650 nm). Specifically: 635 nm light appears roughly 2× brighter than 650 nm light at the same optical power. Practical effect: a 20 mW light-red module looks visually comparable to a 40 mW red module – with a lower laser class and longer diode service life. Light-red modules are slightly more expensive to manufacture but pay off in brighter environments or where a lower laser class is required.

Glass optics vs. acrylic optics – when which?

Acrylic optics (PMMA plastic): low cost, light, dimensionally stable. Optically very good in standard applications, but temperature-sensitive – the refractive index changes with temperature, shifting the focus when variation exceeds ±5 °C. Perfectly adequate for indoor applications with stable conditions. Glass optics: heavier, more expensive, but temperature-stable. The refractive index stays nearly constant across wide temperature swings. Ideal for: outdoor mounting, unheated halls, machines with large temperature swings (welding, sawmills in summer/winter) and applications needing high repeat accuracy over long periods. Glass optics are available as an optional upgrade on our KLM and LLM modules.

What does „stabilized and peak-free power supply“ mean (cross-line laser)?

Cross-line laser modules contain sensitive laser diodes that can be destroyed within microseconds by voltage spikes and current fluctuations. Stabilized means: constant output voltage under load, no sag during switch-on. Peak-free means: no switching spikes or overshoot on the supply line. Always use a switching power supply with sufficient smoothing or a dedicated laser diode driver. Avoid unfiltered supplies, cheap USB power banks without stabilization, and supplies shared with switching relays or motors. The DC variant of our modules includes integrated reverse-polarity protection.

When is the optional glass collimator worthwhile?

The standard version of our KLM modules ships with an aspheric acrylic lens – sufficient for stable indoor temperatures. With strongly fluctuating operating temperatures (more than ±5 °C variation) the acrylic lens can shift focus – beam width changes and sharpness suffers. The optional three-lens glass collimator is significantly more temperature-stable: glass barely expands, so the focus stays constant. Recommended for: outdoor mounting, unheated halls, machines with large temperature swings (welding, sawmills in summer/winter) and applications needing high repeat accuracy over long periods.

How big is the cross at a given distance?

The cross size scales linearly with distance. With a 90° lens angle on a 12 mm module, 1 m distance gives a cross with roughly 2 m line length per axis. At 2 m distance this doubles to about 4 m per axis. With narrower angles (e.g. 35°) the cross is correspondingly smaller: 0.62 m at 1 m distance. Note: as distance grows the cross gets not only larger but also wider in line width (beam divergence). For especially sharp crosses at a known distance, the focus is adjusted on the module (brass ring at the front).

Which colour for which surface (cross-line laser)?

Red (650 nm): standard choice, lowest cost, sufficient in moderately lit environments. Light red (635 nm): noticeably brighter than 650 nm red at the same power, good visibility on most surfaces. Green (520 nm): appears roughly 5–7× brighter than red – the choice for very bright environments, visible in daylight, large distances or dark surfaces. Blue (450 nm): ideal on wood, vegetation, greenish or yellow surfaces – where red and green get lost in the background. Light blue (488 nm): high contrast on warm-light spectra, a special colour for surfaces such as red-toned woods.

Cross-line laser vs. line laser vs. positioning laser – what are the differences?

Line laser: projects one line – ideal for cutting lines, paths and boundaries. Cross-line laser: projects two perpendicular lines as a cross (90°) – ideal for centring and aligning. Positioning laser with DOE optics: projects a pattern (crosshair, circle, search field, square) through a diffractive optical element – the image has constant brightness across the entire area, but the lines are inherently wider than with classic lens optics. In short: line for straight markings, cross-line laser for precise centring with sharp lines, DOE positioning laser for evenly bright patterns including the outer areas.

What is a cross-line laser?

A cross-line laser (also called cross hair laser) projects two perpendicular lines (90°) – a true line cross – onto a surface. Unlike a positioning laser with DOE optics, the cross here is generated by two classic cylindrical lenses. Benefits: sharp, bright lines across the full image width, daylight-capable – good visibility even in daylight and bright environments. Typical applications are workpiece centring on CNC, sawing and drilling machines, microscope reference crosses, inspection stations and operator guidance at manual workstations. Cross-line laser modules are available in red, light red (635 nm), green, blue and light blue – each with adjustable focus.

High-quality cross-line lasers with cross-line projection

Unsure about optics or angles?

Cross-line lasers in red, green and blue: frequently asked questions