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How do I convert an SVG to a DXF for plasma cutting or a metal shop?

Updated Nov 11, 2026

Short answer: Check and close the shapes first, then save a DXF with stated units and plain lines.

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What do you cut with?

Drop your SVG or DXF file here

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The short version

A plain SVG-to-DXF conversion copies every problem across: open shapes, doubled lines, typed text and the wrong size. Plasma software and metal shops are strict about those. So check first, then convert.

How to do it

  1. Choose "Plasma or metal shop" and drop your SVG into the checker above.
  2. Press "Fix everything I can" and read anything it could not fix, such as typed text that needs turning into outlines.
  3. Check the size. SVGs sized in pixels are flagged; type the real width if it is wrong.
  4. Choose inches or millimeters and press "Download DXF". You get an R12 DXF with units saved, plain polylines and true circles, ready for SheetCAM, Fusion or an online metal shop.

Real example: before and after

The example file before fixing, with problems marked: none
Before, problems marked
The same file after fixing
After

What the checker found

  • Size: 80.0 mm (3.15 in) wide × 60.0 mm (2.36 in) tall

What was fixed

    Download: before (SVG) · after (DXF)

    Questions

    Is this an image converter?

    No. It converts vector SVG files (lines and shapes) into DXF. A PNG or JPG saved inside an SVG cannot be converted into cut lines here.

    Should I choose inches or millimeters for the DXF?

    Use what your CAM software or shop expects. SendCutSend, for example, asks for 1:1 scale and prefers inches. The units are written into the file either way.

    Are colors kept?

    Each line color goes on its own DXF layer (for example CUT_1 for red), so you can still tell cut and mark lines apart.

    Sources

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