PNG to DXF Converter

DXF is what cutting machines read

A DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) file is the plain vector format that CAD software has used for decades, and most machines that follow paths still speak it: laser cutters, CNC routers, plasma and waterjet tables, vinyl and paper cutters, and CAD programs. A PNG is a grid of pixels, which none of them can cut. Converting PNG to DXF means tracing the picture into outlines the machine can follow, then writing those outlines in the format it expects.

This converter does both in your browser. It traces the image with the same engine as our PNG to SVG converter, then writes a DXF: a closed polyline around every shape and every hole, grouped into one layer per color. On the logo sample above that is 4 polylines on 3 layers, 135.5 mm square, in a 22 KB file. Nothing is uploaded, so it is safe for client logos and product designs.

Outlines or single lines: pick the mode for the job

The mode you choose decides what the machine will do with each line of your design:

Mode	The DXF holds	Use it for
Color	Closed outlines of every color region, one layer per color	Multi-color designs, layered cuts, assigning a different operation to each color
B&W	Closed outlines of the dark shapes only	Logos, lettering, stencils, anything cut in one material
Centerline	One open polyline down the middle of each line	Engraving or scoring line art, pen plotting, single-line lettering

The difference matters most for line drawings. In B&W mode our kitten drawing becomes 75 closed outlines, and a laser set to cut or score follows both edges of every line. In Centerline mode it becomes 118 single strokes, each followed once. See Centerline Trace for more on single-line output.

How to convert a PNG to DXF

1. Add your image. Drop it onto the tool above. PNG, JPG, WebP and GIF all work.
2. Pick the mode. Color, B&W or Centerline, as in the table above. Keep Transparent background ticked so the background doesn't turn into a rectangle around everything.
3. Check the preview. Zoom in and turn on Outlines: that is what the DXF holds, the same shapes drawn as outlines. Raise Despeckle if stray specks would become tiny cuts.
4. Download the DXF and open it in your cutting or CAD software. Scale it there if you need a specific size.

What's inside the file

• Version: AutoCAD R12 (AC1009), the version with the widest support, so older and simpler programs open it too.
• Geometry: polylines only. Shapes and holes are closed polylines; centerline strokes are open. Curves are split into short straight segments within 0.05 mm of the true curve, because some cutting software still handles splines badly.
• No overlaps: shapes are traced so they don't overlap. A shape sitting on top of another is cut out of it, instead of stacked over it, so the cutter never slices through a shape that sits underneath.
• Layers: one per color, named after the color's hex code (for example C1_2563EB) and given the closest standard CAD color, so you can assign operations by layer.
• Units: millimetres, at 96 pixels per inch. A 1,000 pixel wide image is 264.6 mm wide. The file declares millimetres in its header.

Using the DXF in your software

• LightBurn. Import the DXF. Each color layer comes in separately, so you can cut one color, score another and engrave a third.
• Silhouette Studio. The free Basic Edition opens DXF, while SVG needs the paid Designer Edition, so DXF is the way to bring a traced design into Basic. Studio fits every DXF to the page as it opens it, so set the width there.
• CNC routers. Import the DXF into your CAM software and assign inside or outside toolpaths. Holes, like the middle of an O, come in as their own closed shapes.
• CAD programs. Fusion 360, LibreCAD, QCAD, FreeCAD and AutoCAD all open R12 DXF. Use the traced outline as a sketch to build on.
• Inkscape. Opens DXF directly, if you want to edit the paths before cutting.

Getting a clean DXF

• Start from the cleanest image you have. A large PNG with sharp edges gives smoother outlines than a small, blurry JPG. The tool smooths out JPEG noise, but it can't invent detail.
• Fewer colors, fewer cuts. For a one-material job, use B&W. In Color mode, drag the Colors slider down to merge shades you don't want as separate layers.
• Kill specks before they become cuts. Raise Despeckle until stray dots disappear from the preview. Every speck left in would be a tiny, pointless cut.
• Mind thin parts. A line thinner than your laser kerf or router bit will burn away or break. Thicken thin strokes in the original, or cut them as single lines in Centerline mode.
• Scale in the cutting software. The DXF comes out at 96 pixels per inch. Set the final size in LightBurn, Silhouette or your CAM program rather than resizing the image first.

Also available: SVG, PDF and EPS

The same trace downloads in other formats too. SVG is the most editable and what Cricut Design Space and most web and design tools want. PDF and EPS are what print shops, sign makers and embroidery digitizers usually ask for; both keep the colors and the curves exactly as traced. The buttons sit under the main download button.