Gear and tools emblem, at 300 mm wide for a sign.
Download example SVG (5 kB)Download example DXF (124 kB)
Source image: Openclipart, ben, CC0 1.0.
Image to vector for a CNC router
A router cuts with a round bit, not a hairline beam. This page converts an image to a clean DXF in millimeters and covers the checks that matter for a router.
Drop your image here
or
JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, BMP or HEIC, up to 10 MB
Real examples, made with this converter
Each pair is an actual conversion of a public domain image, with the settings listed under it. You can download the exact files.
Sea turtle silhouette at 400 mm wide, a profile cut.
Download example SVG (6 kB)Download example DXF (93 kB)
Source image: Openclipart, dragonassbabe, CC0 1.0.
Oak tree silhouette at 500 mm wide.
Download example SVG (38 kB)Download example DXF (356 kB)
Source image: Openclipart, GDJ, CC0 1.0.
Free sample files, not watermarked.
Recommended settings
We use the laser profile because it gives closed outlines in millimeters, which is what a CAM program wants.
- Profile
- Laser / CNC.
- Colors
- 1. One closed contour per shape.
- Width
- The real size of the piece in millimeters, up to 1500 mm.
- Detail
- Low. Anything smaller than 1 mm is dropped, and a router bit cannot cut it anyway.
The bit is not a hairline
A 3.175 mm (1/8 inch) bit cannot cut an inner corner sharper than its radius, and it cannot cut a slot narrower than its diameter. After you import the DXF, check the narrowest gaps and the sharpest inner corners against your bit.
- Inner corners will be rounded to the bit radius. Add dog-bone relief if a part must fit a square corner.
- Features narrower than the bit will not be cut at all.
- For small detail use a V-bit, or a smaller end mill with a separate toolpath.
Inside, outside or on the line
The DXF is the exact outline. In your CAM software you decide whether the bit runs inside the line, outside it or on it. For a part you cut out, run outside the line so the part keeps its size. For a pocket, run inside.
Tabs and hold-down
When you cut a part free, it can move at the end and ruin the cut. Add tabs in the toolpath. They are a CAM setting, not part of the vector.
Closed contours
The DXF contains closed polylines, which is what pocket and profile toolpaths need. Open paths cannot be pocketed. The converter checks that every contour is closed when it writes the file.
Import into your CAM program
VCarve / Aspire DXF
- Create the job with the units set to millimeters, then File > Import > Import Vectors.
- Select all and use Join Vectors if it reports open paths.
- Create a Profile or Pocket toolpath.
Carbide Create DXF or SVG
- Use the File menu to import vector data and pick the file.
- Check the size, then add contour toolpaths with tabs.
Easel SVG
- Import the SVG from the same conversion, and set its size in the app.
Fusion DXF
- Insert > Insert DXF, pick the plane, then use the sketch in a 2D contour or pocket.
Common mistakes
- Cutting a profile inside the line. The part ends up smaller by the bit diameter. Choose outside for a part, inside for a hole.
- Ignoring the inner corners. A square tab will not fit a rounded corner. Add relief or round the tab.
- Setting the job in inches by mistake. A DXF in mm will look 25 times too big or small. Match the job units.
- Skipping tabs. The cut-out part lifts and the bit catches it.
Questions
Does the converter offset for my tool?
No. It gives the exact outline. Tool offset is a toolpath setting.
Can I use it for 3D carving?
No. It gives 2D outlines for profile and pocket cuts.
What is the maximum size?
1500 mm wide.