Convert SVG to DXF for laser cutting, CNC and CAD
This SVG to DXF converter turns vector artwork from Inkscape, Illustrator, Figma, Affinity or any icon library into a DXF file that laser cutters, vinyl cutters, CNC routers, plasma tables and CAD programs can open. Drop in an .svg file or paste its code, check the preview and the true size, and download the DXF.
It keeps the real dimensions — an SVG drawn at 80 × 50 mm comes out at 80 × 50 mm — and puts shapes on layers by stroke colour, so cut, score and engrave lines stay separate. Circles and circular arcs stay as true arcs; Bézier curves become smooth polylines within the tolerance you choose.
The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Your design is never uploaded, which matters for client artwork and unreleased products.
How to convert SVG to DXF
- Drop your .svg file on the box (or paste the SVG code). Convert any text to paths in your design program first.
- Check Size in the SVG: Automatic reads the width and height the file declares; choose 1 pt if an older Illustrator file comes out too small.
- Pick the DXF units your machine software expects (millimetres or inches), and a scale if you need one.
- Choose how to split layers — by stroke colour is usual for laser cutting — and whether to keep circles and arcs as true arcs.
- Check the preview and drawing size, then press Download DXF and import it with the same units.
SVG to DXF Converter features
True scale
Reads width, height and viewBox (mm, cm, in, pt, px), so parts come out the size you drew them.
Exact circles and arcs
Circles become CIRCLE entities and circular arcs become ARC entities or polyline bulges — no faceting.
Smooth curves
Béziers and ellipses become polylines that stay within your tolerance (0.05 mm by default).
Layers by colour
One layer per stroke colour, coloured with the nearest AutoCAD Color Index, or by fill, by group or a single layer.
Clean R12 DXF
Plain ASCII DXF (AutoCAD R12 format) that almost every CAD, CAM and laser program can read.
Private
No upload: the file is read and converted on your device.
What is converted and what is not
- Converted: paths (lines, Bézier curves and arcs), rectangles including rounded corners, circles, ellipses, lines, polylines and polygons, inside groups, nested SVGs and <use> references, with every transform applied.
- Text: not converted — DXF text would need your fonts. Convert text to paths (Inkscape: Path › Object to Path; Illustrator: Type › Create Outlines) before converting.
- Images, gradients and patterns: bitmaps are skipped; shapes filled with a gradient go on their own layer.
- Stroke width, clip paths and masks: DXF lines have no thickness, so each shape is exported as its centre line; clipped shapes are exported whole. Outline thick strokes first if you need their edges.
How the converter works
Every shape is read in the SVG’s own coordinates, multiplied through its transforms and the viewBox, converted to millimetres and then to your output units. Because DXF measures y upwards and SVG measures it downwards, the drawing is flipped so it looks the same, with the bottom-left of the page at 0,0.
Cubic and quadratic Bézier curves are split into straight segments until no point of the curve is further than the tolerance from them. Circular arcs are written exactly: as an ARC entity, or as a bulge value (tan of a quarter of the arc’s angle) on a polyline vertex, which keeps a rounded rectangle as one closed shape. If a non-uniform scale or skew turns a circle into an ellipse, it is flattened like a curve instead.
The output is an AutoCAD R12 ASCII DXF with LINE, CIRCLE, ARC and POLYLINE entities and a layer table. R12 has no units setting, so the numbers are in the units you chose — import with the same unit. Each layer gets the nearest AutoCAD Color Index colour; similar colours can share one index, though they stay on separate layers.
Tips for laser cutting and CNC
- Use one stroke colour per operation (for example red to cut, blue to score, black to engrave) and map the layers in your laser software.
- If parts come out 25.4 times too big or small, the import units do not match — re-import with the units chosen here.
- A tolerance of 0.01–0.05 mm is finer than most laser kerfs; larger values give smaller files and faster CNC motion.
- To edit or clean up the SVG first, open it in the SVG editor; for a raster preview, use SVG to PNG.
SVG to DXF Converter FAQ
How do I convert SVG to DXF for free?
Drop the .svg file on this page, check the size and layers, and press Download DXF. It is free, has no limits and the file never leaves your computer.
Why is my DXF the wrong size?
The DXF has no unit setting in R12, so import it with the units you chose here. If an Illustrator SVG is 25 % off, set Size in the SVG to 1 pt (72 dpi).
Does the SVG to DXF converter keep curves?
Circles and circular arcs stay exact. Bézier curves and ellipses become smooth polylines within the tolerance you set.
Why is my text missing in the DXF?
Text is not converted. Turn it into paths or outlines in your design program, then convert again.
Will the DXF work in my laser cutter software or CAD program?
It writes AutoCAD R12 ASCII DXF, the most widely supported version, readable by common CAD, CAM and laser-cutting programs.
Can I convert SVG to STL?
Not here: STL is a 3D mesh. Convert to DXF, then extrude the outline to a thickness in a CAD program to make a 3D part and export STL from there.