DXF, AI, SVG, PDF, EPS, DWG— what works, what doesn’t, and how to send a clean file the first time.
DXF preferred·50 MB per file·up to 20 files per quote
01 · What we accept
The formats that cut — and the prep each one needs.
Send vector wherever you can. We accept raster, but it has to be vectorised first — that adds time and cost, quoted as a separate line.
Cut-ready vector
RecommendedDXF
Drawing Exchange Format
CAD exchange format. Clean curves and layers — what our machines read best.
✓ Cut-readyAI
Adobe Illustrator
Native vector. Keep paths as outlines, not live text.
✓ Cut-readySVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
Open vector. Scales to any size and holds a clean cut path.
✓ Cut-readyPDF
Vector PDF only
Vector PDFs cut fine. Flatten transparency and outline text first.
✓ Cut-readyEPS
Encapsulated PostScript
Legacy vector. Works when paths are outlined and closed.
✓ Cut-readyDWG
AutoCAD Drawing
Good for routing — supply in millimetres at 1:1 scale.
✓ Cut-ready
Accepted, vectorised first — adds time + cost
PNG
Portable Network Graphic
Pixels, not paths. We vectorise first — quoted as a separate line.
~ Needs prepJPG
JPEG Image
Photo format. No cut path — needs vectorising before it cuts.
~ Needs prepJPEG
JPEG Image
Same as JPG. Send the highest resolution you have.
~ Needs prep
By review — CNC routing only
STEP
3D CAD Solid
CNC routing only, assessed case by case.
By reviewSTP
STEP, other extension
STEP under another name. Same review applies.
By review
Won’t cut
BMP✕ Not accepted
TIFF✕ Not accepted
Heavy raster formats with no path data. Send a vector or a high-res JPG/PNG instead.
02 · Vector vs raster
The one thing that decides whether a file cuts.
A vector is a path the machine can follow. A raster is a grid of pixels with no path at all. Same letter, two completely different files.
✓ VectorVector — outlines with anchor points. The red path is the toolpath. Scales to any size, cuts as a path.✕ RasterRaster — pixels on a grid. Zoom in and the edge is a staircase. No path, nothing to cut.
Vectorised — time + costRaster — JPG, PNG. We trace it to vector first, quoted separately.
Not acceptedBMP, TIFF. No path data and no benefit over a high-res JPG.
03 · Getting it cut-ready
Four checks that turn artwork into a cut file.
Outline your text, separate cut from engrave, set real-world scale, and start from clean line work. Get these right and the file cuts the first time.
✓Correct: outlined paths with nodes.✕Incorrect: live text, font substitutes.
Zero-width stroke — no toolpath ✕
Closed outline — cuts ✓
Outline your text before you send
Live text depends on a font we may not have. If it substitutes, your letters change shape — or don’t cut at all. Convert every bit of text to outlines (Type > Create Outlines) so the paths are locked in.
A path also needs to be a closed outline, not a hairline stroke. A zero-width line gives the machine nothing to follow.
Red goes through the material · grey scores the surface.
We read intent from the line. A solid red path means cut all the way through. Grey hatched paths mean engrave the surface only. Put them on their own layers so nothing gets cut when it should have been scored.
Use this key everywhere in your file — it’s the same one we read on the machine.
1:1 — on-screen size = cut size. 600 mm × 400 mm.
✕No “fit to page” or scaled-to-print. A scaled file cuts at the wrong size.
Draw it at 1:1 in millimetres
Build the file at real-world size — a 600 mm sign is 600 mm in the document. Set your units to millimetres before you start, and dimension the key sizes so there’s no guesswork.
Never export “fit to page” or scaled for print. We cut exactly what the file measures.
✓Correct: crisp, high-res or vector.✕Incorrect: low-res, upscaled, blocky.
Start from a crisp, high-resolution source
If a raster is the only option, send the sharpest version you have. A small logo blown up to sign size goes blocky, and a low-res raster can’t be vectorised cleanly — the traced edges come out rough.
Best of all, send the original vector and skip the trace entirely.
Macro — clean cut edge
Technical illustration — cross-section of a flame-polished laser edge on 6 mm acrylic. A drawing, not a photo. Swap in a real macro shot when you have one.
04 · Common mistakes
Five checks that save the most time.
Run through these before you attach the file. They’re the issues we flag most often, and each one is a two-minute fix at your end.
1
Shapes are outlines, not strokes
A stroked line has no width the machine can cut. Expand strokes into closed outlines.
✕✓
2
No duplicate or overlapping lines
Stacked paths get cut twice — slower, and it can scorch the edge. Delete the doubles.
✕✓
3
Correct 1:1 scale
The artboard is real size — not shrunk to fit a print page. Check a known dimension.
✕✓
4
Units in millimetres
Set the document to mm. Inches or unitless files get cut at the wrong size.
✕24 in?✓610 mm
5
No raster embedded inside a vector
A placed JPG inside an SVG or PDF still won't cut. Trace it to a path first.
✕✓
05 · How to send your files
Three steps from file to cut.
Attach your artwork to a quote request and we take it from there.
STEP 01
Prepare your file
Outline text, set 1:1 in mm, split cut from engrave, remove duplicates.
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STEP 02
Attach to your quote request
Up to 20 files per quote · 50 MB each. DXF, AI, SVG, PDF, EPS, DWG.
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STEP 03
We review, then cut
Usually within 1 business day. We confirm anything that needs prep before we start.
Reviewing your file is free. If it needs work to cut, we tell you exactly what and quote it as a separate line — confirmed with you before we start.
You send your file
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We review it — freeNo charge to look at your artwork
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✓ Ready to cut
We cut
✕ Issue found
We flag exactly what’s needed — open contours, font swaps, scale errors
↓
You fix it — or we quote the prep and you confirm
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We cut
What’s free, what’s quoted
Reviewing your file is always free.If it needs vectorising or CAD prep to cut, that’s quoted as a separate line and confirmed before any work starts. We never start paid work without your go-ahead.
Ready when you are
Not sure if your file is ready?
Send it with your quote request — we’ll review it and tell you what’s needed before cutting.