What units does the DXF use?

Millimeters. An SVG measured in pixels is converted at 96 pixels per inch, so 96 px becomes 25.4 mm. The file does not name its unit, so import the DXF as millimeters if your software asks.

Yes, as outlines of the letters, so it looks right in CAD and cuts on a laser or plasma table. It cannot be edited as text; retype it in your CAD app if you need to change it.

Why did my thick lines become thin?

A DXF line has no stroke width, so a thick stroke becomes a single line along its middle. To cut the outline of a thick line, use Path > Stroke to Path in Inkscape (or Outline Stroke in Illustrator) before converting.

Are layers and colors kept?

Inkscape layers become DXF layers with the same names, so a “Cut” and an “Engrave” layer arrive separately. Colors are not kept, and an SVG without layers comes out on one layer.

Will it open in Silhouette Studio?

Yes. Every edition of Silhouette Studio opens DXF, while SVG needs the paid Designer Edition. The shapes arrive as cut lines; check the size after opening.

What happens to my files?

The SVG is uploaded over HTTPS, converted on our server and deleted automatically within 2 hours, along with the DXF.

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Runs on our server
Every shape and text
Sized in millimeters
Opens in CAD apps

Convert SVG to DXF Online

Convert an SVG into a DXF for CAD software, laser cutters and plasma tables, at its real size.

Click to choose or drag & drop here

Up to 10 files · 50 MB each

How to Convert SVG to DXF

1
Upload the SVG
From Inkscape, Illustrator, Figma, Canva or an icon site, up to 50 MB (up to 10 files at once).
2
Everything becomes paths
Rectangles, circles, clones and text are turned into outlines, then written as DXF lines.
3
Import the DXF
Open it in AutoCAD, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, LightBurn or your plasma or CNC software.

Why DXF instead of SVG

SVG is made for screens, while DXF is the drawing exchange format CAD and machine software is built around. AutoCAD and SolidWorks import DXF directly, many plasma and CNC programs expect DXF, and the basic edition of Silhouette Studio opens DXF but not SVG.

How the size comes across

Coordinates are written in millimeters using the size set in the SVG, so import the DXF as millimeters. An SVG drawn in millimeters keeps its numbers, one drawn in inches is converted (2 in becomes 50.8 mm), and one drawn in pixels is converted at 96 pixels per inch, so 96 px becomes 25.4 mm. Check one known length after importing, especially for SVGs exported from web tools that use pixels.

In the SVG	In the DXF
100 mm wide	100 mm wide
96 px wide	25.4 mm wide
960 px wide	254 mm wide

What is kept and what is not

In the SVG	In the DXF
Paths, rectangles, circles, polygons	Kept, as connected LINE segments
Clones and reused symbols	Kept, like the original shape
Text	Turned into outlines of the letters
Stroke width	Not kept: a thick line becomes one line along its middle
Fills, gradients, colors	Not kept: only outlines
Inkscape layers	Inkscape layers become DXF layers with the same names; without them, everything is on one layer
Embedded images	Left out

Before you cut

Lines that should be cut as a thick band: turn the stroke into a shape first (Inkscape: Path > Stroke to Path), so both edges are cut.
Pieces you need as closed shapes: join the line segments in your software (Auto-Join in LightBurn, JOIN in AutoCAD).
Hidden or off-page objects: they are converted too. Delete them in the SVG first.

Figures on this page were measured by the PortImg team in October 2026, on a test copy of our server. How we test

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Frequently Asked Questions

: Millimeters. An SVG measured in pixels is converted at 96 pixels per inch, so 96 px becomes 25.4 mm. The file does not name its unit, so import the DXF as millimeters if your software asks.
: Yes, as outlines of the letters, so it looks right in CAD and cuts on a laser or plasma table. It cannot be edited as text; retype it in your CAD app if you need to change it.
: A DXF line has no stroke width, so a thick stroke becomes a single line along its middle. To cut the outline of a thick line, use Path > Stroke to Path in Inkscape (or Outline Stroke in Illustrator) before converting.
: Inkscape layers become DXF layers with the same names, so a “Cut” and an “Engrave” layer arrive separately. Colors are not kept, and an SVG without layers comes out on one layer.
: Yes. Every edition of Silhouette Studio opens DXF, while SVG needs the paid Designer Edition. The shapes arrive as cut lines; check the size after opening.
: The SVG is uploaded over HTTPS, converted on our server and deleted automatically within 2 hours, along with the DXF.