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Why won't my text cut, and how do I turn text into outlines?

Updated Nov 11, 2026

Short answer: Typed text needs its font. Convert it to outlines (paths) in your design program before saving the cut file.

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Why it happens

Text you type in a design program is stored as letters plus a font name, not as shapes. On another computer, or in laser and CAM software, the font may be missing, so the text is skipped, shown in a different font, or comes in as a box. Turning text into outlines (also called "convert to path", "create outlines", "expand" or "explode") makes each letter a shape that every program can cut.

How to fix it

  1. Drop your file into the checker above. It lists every piece of typed text and marks where it is.
  2. Turn the text into outlines in your design program:
    • Inkscape: select the text, Path › Object to Path.
    • Illustrator: select the text, Type › Create Outlines.
    • LightBurn: select the text, Edit › Convert to Path.
  3. Save, and check the file again. The checker should no longer list any text. Outlined letters often overlap or leave tiny pieces, which the checker also catches.

Real example: before and after

The example file before fixing, with problems marked: 1 piece of text is still typed text: "HI"
Before, problems marked
The same file after fixing
After

What the checker found

  • 1 piece of text is still typed text: "HI"
  • Size: 110 mm (4.33 in) wide × 50.0 mm (1.97 in) tall

What was fixed

  • Text turned into outlines in a design program, then checked again.

Download: before (SVG) · after (SVG)

Questions

Why can't the checker turn my text into outlines?

Turning text into shapes needs the font file, which lives on your computer, not in the SVG. Your design program has the font, so it can do it in one click. The checker tells you exactly which text is still typed.

My text is outlined, but letters like O and A lose their middles when cut. Why?

The middle of an O is a separate piece, so it falls out. That is fine for a laser engraving or a hole, but for a stencil or a metal sign you need small bridges holding the middle in place, or a stencil font.

Do metal shops accept typed text in a DXF?

No. Shops such as SendCutSend ask for all text to be converted to outlines first: active text boxes will not cut.

Sources

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