Laser beam shaping techniques are important to optimize a large number of laser material processing applications and laser-material interaction studies. The authors have developed a novel Fluidic Laser Beam Shaper (FLBS) with merits such as flexibility, versatility and low cost. This work presents a fundamentally new approach for laser beam shaping by using FLBS. A Gaussian beam profile is transformed to a flat top beam and an annular beam profile in the focal plane. The shaped laser beam is used for laser drilling to investigate the influence of the laser intensity profile in laser processing. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research and potential applications for further the work. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.