Laser Cutting File Formats: SVG, DXF, AI, PDF and Which to Use

Most laser software accepts several formats, so the question is not which one works but which one arrives intact at the machine. The difference between formats is not whether they open — it is what information they lose along the way.

Vector versus raster

This distinction outranks all the others.

Vector — the file describes geometry: lines, curves and coordinates. The machine can follow it directly and it scales without loss. SVG, DXF, AI, EPS and PDF are vector.

Raster — the file describes pixels. There are no lines to follow, just a grid of light and dark dots. PNG, JPG and BMP are raster.

Two rules follow from that:

• Cutting requires vector, always. Raster has to be traced first.
• Engraving accepts both. Photo engraving is done precisely from raster, using halftone or greyscale.

SVG

The default format for laser work, and deservedly so.

For: plain text, open and standard; everything opens it; it carries colour and layers, which is how operations get separated; Inkscape edits it for free.

Against: unit handling is its weak point. An SVG can carry sizes in px, mm, pt or user units, and interpretation varies between programs. This is the source of the classic 33% scaling error (96 versus 72 DPI).

When to use it: by default, unless you have a specific reason to use something else. If exporting from Inkscape, save as Plain SVG.

DXF

The CAD format, born in AutoCAD and a de facto standard in manufacturing.

For: unambiguous units — a DXF knows it is in millimetres, which eliminates SVG's scaling problem at the root. It is native to the CAD world, so if your part comes from Fusion 360, FreeCAD or SolidWorks, it exports without translation.

Against: it does not carry colour reliably between programs, so separating operations is more awkward — it is done by layers, and importers respect them inconsistently. It also has no native Bézier curves: it approximates them with polylines or arcs, so a curve can arrive faceted.

When to use it: mechanical parts, anything where exact dimensions outrank aesthetics, and anything coming out of CAD.

AI and EPS

Adobe Illustrator formats. You will receive these from graphic designers constantly.

For: designers work this way, and LightBurn imports them.

Against: proprietary formats, and support outside Adobe is always partial. Recent AI files are actually PDF internally, which helps; older ones less so. Effects, gradients and transparency mean nothing to a laser and routinely cause import trouble.

When to use it: almost never by choice. If one arrives, convert it to SVG and inspect the result.

PDF

For: it is vector, it preserves size reliably, and anyone can open it. As an exchange format with a client it is convenient because they can view it without installing anything.

Against: a PDF can perfectly well contain a raster image inside. Being a PDF guarantees nothing about there being vectors. This is the most common trap when receiving files.

When to use it: as a delivery or exchange format, not a working format. Open it and confirm there are real paths before assuming anything.

PNG, JPG and BMP

Raster. Useless for cutting without tracing first.

Among them, for engraving:

• PNG is the best: lossless with transparency. If you are engraving from raster, ask for PNG.
• JPG compresses lossily and produces artefacts around high-contrast edges — exactly where engraving will render them. Avoid it where you can.
• BMP is lossless but bulky and has no transparency. It offers nothing over PNG.

For engraving, actual resolution matters too: a 300 px image stretched to 200 mm comes out pixelated no matter how precise the machine is.

Summary table

Format	Type	Cut	Engrave	Reliable units	Colour per layer
SVG	Vector	Yes	Yes	Fair	Yes
DXF	Vector	Yes	Limited	Yes	By layer
AI / EPS	Vector	Yes	Yes	Fair	Yes
PDF	Vector*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial
PNG	Raster	No	Yes	—	No
JPG	Raster	No	Acceptable	—	No

* A PDF may contain raster images.

Conversions that work, and those that do not

SVG ↔ DXF — works both ways. Going to DXF you lose colour; coming back, DXF polylines land as chained straight segments rather than smooth curves. Inkscape does both.

AI/EPS → SVG — works well by opening the file in Inkscape and saving as Plain SVG. Check that text was converted to paths.

PDF → SVG — works if the PDF actually contains vectors. If it contains an image, you get an SVG with an embedded image inside, which still cannot be cut.

Raster → vector — this is not a conversion, it is a reconstruction. The software guesses where the outlines are. Quality depends on the contrast of the original, and the result almost always carries open and duplicate paths that need cleaning. This is where most of the problems in the Inkscape preparation guide originate.

Vector → raster — technically trivial and irreversible. Never save your only copy that way.

Receiving files from a client

If you do commission work, this saves arguments:

Ask for SVG, DXF or vector PDF. If the client does not know what they have, ask for "the original file the design was made in", not the image they sent over a messaging app — which usually arrives recompressed as well.

Verify before quoting. Open it and check three things: that there are vectors and not an image, that the dimensions match what the client believes, and that cut outlines are closed. A PDF with a photo inside looks like a valid file right up until you try to cut it.

Be explicit about what the price covers. Tracing a logo from a photo is real work, sometimes more than the cutting. Better said upfront than afterwards.

If all you have is an image

This is the most common situation: a logo arrives as a PNG and it needs cutting. Manual tracing with Inkscape's Trace Bitmap works, but leaves a lot of cleanup ahead of you.

MEZ Laser covers that step: upload the image and get closed, non-duplicated paths ready to cut.

With the file sorted, settings are in the chart by material.