Photo to SVG for laser cutting

A cutting file at the size you actually cut, with every line cut once.

Most image-to-SVG converters were built to vectorise logos, and it shows the moment you send the result to a laser. They trace the boundary of every dark region, so a drawn line, which has thickness, comes back as two lines with a sliver between them, and the machine cuts each one twice. They also have no idea how big anything is, so the file arrives at whatever size the pixels implied.

This is built for the machine instead. Strokes are thinned to a single centerline before tracing, so a line comes out as one line. The file carries a physical width and height in millimetres beside its viewBox, so LightBurn, Inkscape and Illustrator open it at the size the part actually is, and every path is stroke-only with no fill, because a filled shape means nothing to a cutter.

Who this is for

  • Laser cutter owners working from real objects

    Photograph the thing you want a template for, set one dimension, and cut. No tracing over a photo by hand in Inkscape.

  • Makers cutting inserts, jigs and templates

    Foam inserts, tool shadow boards and drawer organisers all start from the outline of a real object that nobody has a drawing for.

  • Sign and craft shops

    Customer supplies a photo or a printed logo; you need cuttable vector paths at a stated size, today.

Try it on your own image

Converting is free and unlimited, no account needed, and no charge for retuning until the result is right. You only pay when you download.

Output format

What are you converting?

Redraws rather than measures, so detail can shift. Check the preview.

Drop an image here or click to browse

PNG, JPG, or WebP · Max 10 MB

How to do it

  1. 1

    Shoot the object flat and square

    Plain contrasting background, even light, camera directly overhead. Shooting at an angle bakes perspective distortion into the outline, and a template that is subtly the wrong shape wastes material before you notice.

  2. 2

    Convert and set the real size

    Drag a line across a dimension you have measured and type it in. This is the step that makes the SVG cuttable rather than merely pretty. It is what puts real millimetres into the file.

  3. 3

    Check the outline, then take the SVG

    Convert as many times as you like for free. When the outline is right, switch the format toggle to SVG and download.

  4. 4

    Add your kerf offset in the cutting software

    The SVG is the true outline of the object. Your laser removes material as it cuts, so offset by half your kerf in LightBurn or your CAM of choice. Outward for a part, inward for a pocket the object must sit in.

Which format to take

SVG is the right pick for lasers and vector editors: it opens at true millimetre size in LightBurn, Inkscape, Illustrator, Affinity Designer and Cricut. Take the DXF as well if the file also needs to go into CAD or CNC, both come out of the same conversion, and one credit covers the job rather than the format.

Image to DXFImage to SVG

What to check before you rely on it

  • The outline is the object's true edge, with no kerf compensation applied. Offset by half your kerf in the cutting software.
  • For a pocket the object must drop into, add clearance on top of kerf. A zero-clearance pocket is a press fit you will not enjoy.
  • Perspective error from an angled photo is not recoverable and produces a template that is quietly the wrong shape.
  • Scale depends on the dimension you type. There is no marker-based auto-calibration, so measure carefully and prefer the longest dimension available.
  • Soft, flexible or draped objects photograph at whatever shape they are currently slumped into. Flatten them first.

Common questions

Will the SVG open at the right size in LightBurn?
Yes. The file is written with a physical width and height in millimetres alongside a unitless viewBox, which is what tells LightBurn, Inkscape and Illustrator the real dimensions. Set the scale during conversion and the file lands at true size with no rescaling.
Does it handle kerf?
No, deliberately. The SVG is the true outline of the object. Kerf depends on your machine, material and power settings, so it belongs in your cutting software where you can change it per job rather than baked into the file.
Why do other converters give me double lines?
Because they trace the boundary of every dark region, and a drawn line has two edges. You end up with a hollow sliver where you wanted a line, and the laser cuts both sides of it. This thins strokes to a 1px centerline first, so a line comes out as one line.
Are the paths filled or stroked?
Stroked, never filled. Fill is set to none with a thin black stroke. Circles stay as real circle elements and arcs as arc commands rather than being flattened into hundreds of straight segments, so curves stay smooth on the machine and the file stays small.

Read next

A cutting file at the size you actually cut, with every line cut once.

Convert an image