Laser-based material deposition to form coatings or 3D structures has gained substantial interest in industry for applications in aerospace, energy conversion, the oil and gas industry, medicine and mechanical engineering. Using light as a tool offers major advantages such as high precision as well as high productivity, utilizing basically the same process principle. However, systems hardware such as nozzle design and additional energy sources must be adjusted to the specific process needs. Moreover, process control and an in-depth understanding of the key processing variables, the resulting material microstructure of the claddings and their resulting properties are essential for successful 2D and 3D material deposition.