Drop the file
SVG, DXF, CMX, PLT or PNG/JPG. The importer reports the size it detected; correct it before converting if the file had no units.
File conversion · 13 tools
Cutting file conversion
SVG, DXF, CorelDRAW CMX, PLT/HPGL and PNG in and out, with the units, curves and layers preserved, plus viewers for files you cannot open.
Every machine and every program speaks a different file dialect. The vinyl plotter wants PLT, the laser software wants DXF or SVG, the customer sends CorelDRAW CMX, the print shop wants PNG at 300 DPI, and each conversion is a chance to lose the size, turn curves into polygons, drop layers or flatten holes. A shop spends real time just moving files between dialects.
These converters do the common moves with the geometry intact. Units are carried through so a 300 mm design stays 300 mm; curves are flattened at 0.3 mm only when the target format needs it; layers and holes are preserved. The viewers open CMX, DXF and SVG in the browser so a file can be checked without the software that made it.
Try it here
SVG to DXF
Clean R2000 DXF in millimetres.
How a file conversion job runs
Choose the target
SVG to DXF and DXF to SVG for design and laser software; SVG to PLT and SVG to HPGL for plotters; CMX to SVG, DXF or PLT for CorelDRAW files; SVG to PNG for previews and print.
Check in the viewer
CMX Viewer, DXF Viewer and SVG Viewer render the file on the cutting mat with dimensions, so you see what the machine will see.
Export
Download the converted file. For PNG, set the DPI and background; for PLT, the pen numbers follow the layers.
All file conversion tools
13 tools · SVG, DXF, PLT/HPGL and PNG in and out.SVG to DXFClean R2000 DXF in millimetres.DXF to SVGDXF lines, arcs and polylines to SVG.CMX to SVGCorelDRAW CMX to clean millimetre SVG, in the browser.CMX to DXFCorelDRAW CMX to R2000 DXF for laser and CNC.CMX to PLTCorelDRAW CMX to plotter HPGL.CMX ViewerOpen and inspect a CorelDRAW CMX file without CorelDRAW.SVG to PNGRaster PNG at any DPI.PNG to SVG ConverterTrace PNG into vector.JPG to SVG ConverterTrace JPG into vector.SVG to PLTPlotter PLT for vinyl cutters.SVG to HPGLHPGL for legacy plotters.DXF ViewerOpen and inspect DXF files.SVG ViewerInspect an SVG with real dimensions.
On the machine
DXF
Written as R2000 with LWPOLYLINE entities in millimetres, layers named after the SVG groups. Read from any release; splines and arcs are flattened; blocks are exploded; $INSUNITS is respected when present.
PLT / HPGL
40 plotter units per millimetre, PU/PD/PA commands, one pen per layer, origin at bottom left. Read by Graphtec, Roland, Summa, Mimaki, GCC and the common Chinese cutter drivers.
CMX
CorelDRAW's exchange format is read directly: curves, groups, fills and outlines, in the document units. Text must be converted to curves in Corel first; live text is flagged. Corel files themselves (CDR) are not supported; export CMX from Corel.
PNG
Rasterised at the DPI you set from the vector at true size, with transparent or white background, for print, previews and listing images.
What usually goes wrong
- Converting a pixel-sized SVG and getting a tiny DXF. Set the real size first.
- Sending a DXF with splines to an old plotter driver. Everything here is polylines for that reason.
- Exporting CMX with live text. Convert to curves in Corel before exporting.
- Assuming PNG to SVG is a format change. It is a trace; use the vectorize tools and their sliders.
- Mixing inch and millimetre files in one job. Check the size line on every import.
Common questions
Why does my DXF open at the wrong size in AutoCAD?
AutoCAD uses its own default unit when a DXF has none. The exported file sets $INSUNITS to millimetres; if the drawing template is in inches, scale by 25.4 or set the template units to mm.
Can I convert PDF or AI files?
SVG to PDF, PDF to SVG and AI/EPS import are on the roadmap. Export SVG from Illustrator or Inkscape in the meantime.
Does conversion lose colours?
Colours become layer names in DXF and pen numbers in PLT, and are preserved in SVG. Laser software maps those layers to cut settings.
What is the difference between PLT and HPGL?
None in content; PLT is the file extension most plotter drivers expect, HPGL is the language inside. Both converters write the same commands.