The study presents the general characteristic of laser welding with a radiation beam emitted in pulsed mode and explains the characteristics of the energy-related parameters of a pulsed radiation beam. The text indicates the shape of a pulse (specific course of power changes within the duration of a pulse) as one of the parameters of a laser beam influencing the process of welding, particularly of thin precision elements. Examples of penetrations and welded joints were used to illustrate the possibility of changing the shape of a weld and the manner of weld metal crystallisation by applying laser beam pulses of diversified shapes.