How to convert an image to DXF
- Upload your imagePNG, JPG, WebP, BMP or GIF. Logos, lettering and high-contrast graphics give the cleanest result.
- Check the red linesThey show exactly what will be cut. Move the threshold until the outlines hug your design.
- Set the real sizeType the width or height in mm or inches — the other side follows automatically.
- Download the DXFDXF 2007 for current software, R12 for older CNC controllers. SVG is there too.
What makes a DXF “ready to cut”
Closed outlines
Every shape is a closed polyline, so the machine knows inside from outside. Generic file converters often leave gaps or thousands of tiny segments.
Real-world size
The drawing is scaled to the width you type and placed at 0,0. DXF 2007 files also store the unit, so software imports them at the right size.
Machine check
Before you download, we count closed shapes, open paths, inner cut-outs and parts under 0.5 mm that are likely to burn away.
Lean geometry
Curves become efficient polylines — hundreds of nodes, not tens of thousands — which keeps files small and machine motion smooth.
Private by design
Tracing runs in your browser with WebAssembly. Your artwork is never uploaded to a server.
SVG as well
For apps that prefer SVG, download the very same shapes as an SVG file with real dimensions.
Which images convert well?
| Image | Result | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Logos and clip art with solid colours | Excellent | Use the largest version you can find. PNG beats JPG. |
| Text, signs, monograms | Excellent | Letters with enclosed areas (O, A, R) create inner pieces — see stencils. |
| Silhouettes (animals, people, skylines) | Excellent | One dark shape on a light background is the ideal input. |
| Scanned or photographed line drawings | Good | Tick Uneven lighting if the paper is shaded. Thick marker lines work better than pencil. |
| Photos of people or objects | Limited | Only works when the subject clearly stands out from the background. Remove the background first. |
The settings, explained
Threshold
Every pixel darker than this value becomes part of a shape. Auto picks the value that best separates your design from its background (Otsu's method). Slide it up to include lighter greys, down to drop them.
Invert
Turn it on when your design is light on a dark background — white lettering on a black badge, for example. We switch it on automatically when the image border looks like dark background.
Uneven lighting
Compares each pixel with its neighbourhood instead of one global value. Use it for phone photos of paper sketches, where one corner is darker than the other.
Remove specks
Drops blobs smaller than the given number of pixels: JPEG noise, dust on a scan, stray dots. Raise it until the machine check stops warning about tiny parts.
Smooth curves or sharp corners
Smooth curves fits curves through the outline — best for logos and lettering. Sharp corners keeps straight segments — better for pixel art and technical shapes with crisp corners.
Open the DXF in your software
| Software | How to bring the DXF in | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| LightBurn | File → Import, pick the .dxf | Shapes land on one layer; assign Cut / Line / Fill per layer. |
| Inkscape | File → Open (or Import into an existing drawing) | Handy if you want to edit, then save again as DXF or SVG. |
| Fusion 360 | Insert → Insert DXF, choose a sketch plane | Closed outlines become profiles you can extrude or use in CAM. |
| AutoCAD, DraftSight, LibreCAD | Open the file directly | The drawing starts at 0,0 in the units you chose. |
| SolidWorks | File → Open, choose DXF, import to a new part as a sketch | Use DXF 2007; pick the same units as in the converter. |
| CAM for plasma / router (SheetCAM, VCarve, Aspire…) | Use the program's import for DXF or vectors | Closed contours let the CAM offset for kerf or bit diameter. |
Can I turn a photo into a DXF?
Only when the subject separates cleanly from the background. A tracer looks for edges between dark and light areas; a photo of a person in a room has thousands of those. What works well:
- A dark object photographed on white paper, lit evenly from above.
- A photo whose background you've removed first, leaving a clean silhouette.
- A high-contrast black-and-white version of a portrait, made in any photo editor.
Tracing captures shape, not tolerances. If you need a mechanically accurate part, measure it and draw it in CAD.