Image to DXF Converter. R12 Output, Auto-Bridged
A DXF you can drop straight into LightBurn, RDWorks, Fusion 360, or AutoCAD. R12 / AC1009 flavour for universal compatibility, sized at 150 mm wide, auto-bridged for stencil cutting.
An image-to-DXF converter built around what makes DXF different from SVG: it has to open in CAD packages and 20-year-old laser controllers, not just modern browsers. Output is R12 (AC1009) DXF using POLYLINE + VERTEX entities, the broadest-compatibility flavour we know. Free up to 5 conversions per IP per day, no signup. Companion SVG bundled in the download.
R12 / AC1009
POLYLINE + VERTEX entities. the most universally readable DXF flavour. Works on old CAM controllers that reject newer DXF versions.
Auto-bridged
Floating cutouts are connected to the main outline so the stencil cuts as one piece without parts falling out.
Sized at 150 mm
Default 150 mm wide with the original aspect ratio. Scale freely in your laser software, both DXF and SVG are lossless under scaling.
Free 5/day per IP
No card, no signup. Five conversions per IP per day. signed-in users get 30/day.
How to use the image to dxf converter. r12 output, auto-bridged
- 1
Upload your image
PNG, JPG, WEBP, or GIF up to 15 MB. The converter handles each format with its own pre-pass before tracing.
- 2
Trace and auto-bridge
Edges traced as smooth Bezier paths first, then resampled to polylines for DXF. Auto-bridging connects floating islands so the cut piece stays together.
- 3
Choose machine units
DXF is unitless by default, but our exporter writes mm so any laser or CAD program that reads $INSUNITS interprets the size correctly. 150 mm wide default.
- 4
Download DXF + SVG
Drop the DXF into LightBurn, RDWorks, LaserGRBL, Fusion 360, or AutoCAD. The bundled SVG opens in Inkscape, Illustrator, and the Glowforge App.
Why R12 DXF instead of newer versions
DXF has been through many revisions: R12 (1992), R14, R2000, R2007, R2010, R2018. Each version added entity types (LWPOLYLINE, SPLINE, MTEXT, ELLIPSE, helix, surface meshes) that older readers refuse to parse. R12 is the lowest-common-denominator format that every CAD package, every laser-controller firmware, and every CAM tool reads. POLYLINE + VERTEX is the entity pair every R12 reader supports. By exporting R12 we trade off some compactness for the guarantee that the file opens everywhere, including in 20-year-old K40 controllers and budget laser engravers running ancient firmware.
Image to DXF for laser cutting
Laser cutters need closed paths to cut. open polylines turn into engraving lines instead of cut profiles. The converter closes every traced path explicitly before writing the DXF, so when you import into LightBurn the layer auto-detects as Cut, not Scan. The output is also auto-bridged: floating islands (eye centres, the inside of an O, the dot above an i) are connected to the main outline with thin bridges so the cut piece stays in one piece during cutting and after.
Image to DXF for CNC routing and plasma
CNC routers (woodworking machines, sign-makers, plasma tables) read DXF as cutting profiles too. The R12 output is compatible with Vectric VCarve, Aspire, Carveco Maker, Easel, Fusion 360 Manufacturing, and most plasma-table CAM packages. Bridges are still added by default. they're useful for plasma cuts on sheet metal too because they keep the cut piece from dropping into the bed slats mid-cut. If you don't want bridges (e.g. cutting individual pieces from a sheet), the auto-bridger only activates when there are floating islands. solid shapes pass through untouched.
Sizing, units, and kerf
The DXF is written in millimetres, with the $INSUNITS header field set so any CAM tool that respects DXF unit hints (LightBurn does, AutoCAD does, older controllers don't) imports at the right physical size. Default width is 150 mm. Kerf compensation is left to your CAM tool because it depends on lens, power, material, and feed rate. for a CO2 laser cutting 3 mm plywood a 0.15 mm kerf offset is a common starting value, but verify with a test cut on your specific setup.
When SVG might be the better choice
If your downstream tool reads SVG natively (LightBurn 1.4+, Glowforge App, xTool Creative Space, Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio), prefer SVG. it carries curve information as Bezier splines so curves stay smooth at any scale. DXF flattens curves into polylines (line segments approximating the curve), which is lossless for cutting but slightly larger as a file. Use DXF when your CAD or CAM tool only accepts DXF, when sharing with a CNC shop, or when the laser controller predates SVG support.
Free, no signup, files deleted in 24 hours
5 conversions per IP per day with no account. 30/day with a free signup. Past that, 1 credit per extra conversion and credit packs never expire. Uploaded images are processed in memory and deleted from our servers within 24 hours. We don't train AI on user uploads.
Ready to convert?
Drop in your file and download a laser-ready vector in seconds.
Open the Converter →Frequently Asked Questions
What DXF version do you output?
R12 (AC1009), using POLYLINE and VERTEX entities. It's the most universally compatible DXF flavour. anything that reads DXF reads R12.
Will it open in LightBurn?
Yes. LightBurn auto-detects R12 POLYLINE imports as Cut layer. The file lands at the correct mm size if you keep "Use file units" enabled on import.
Will it open in AutoCAD, Fusion 360, or Inventor?
Yes. R12 is universally supported by every release of AutoCAD-family and Autodesk Fusion. You can re-save as a newer version if you need to edit it further.
Is the DXF auto-bridged?
Yes. Floating islands inside the design are connected to the main outline with thin bridges so the stencil cuts as one piece. Solid shapes with no floating parts pass through unbridged.
What's the default size?
150 mm wide, original aspect ratio. Scale freely in your CAM tool. DXF is unit-aware via the $INSUNITS header so LightBurn, RDWorks, and AutoCAD all import at the correct physical size.
Do you also export SVG?
Yes. Every DXF conversion bundles a matching SVG in the same download. No extra credit cost.
Does it work for CNC routing and plasma?
Yes. R12 with closed polylines imports into Vectric VCarve, Aspire, Carveco, Easel, and most plasma-table CAM tools. Auto-bridges are useful for plasma too. they keep parts from dropping into bed slats mid-cut.
What's the max image size?
15 MB and around 4000 px on the longest side. Larger images are downscaled automatically before tracing.
Is it really free?
5 per IP per day with no account. 30 per day with a free signup. Past that, 1 credit per extra conversion. No watermark, no recurring charge, no card to start.
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PNG to DXF Converter. The Cleanest Source for DXF
PNG is the best raster format to feed a vectorizer. lossless, alpha-aware, no compression seams. This converter produces a closed-path R12 DXF that drops into LightBurn, RDWorks, or AutoCAD with no extra prep.
JPG to DXF Converter. Compression-Aware Vectorizer
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