DXF to PDF Converter
Turn a DXF drawing into a vector PDF that prints at the right size, right in your browser. By default the PDF page is the same size as the drawing at 1:1, plus a margin you choose, so a 120 mm part is 120 mm on the page and in any PDF viewer’s measure tool. Or put it on a paper sheet (A4 to A0, US Letter, Legal or Tabloid): the drawing goes on at 1:1 when it fits, otherwise at the next standard scale such as 1:2 or 1:5, or fitted to the sheet, and the scale is printed on the page with a check square and ruler. The converter reads ASCII DXF from R12 to R2018: lines, polylines with arcs, circles, ellipses, splines, text and blocks, with layers on or off. Lines stay vector paths, text stays real text, and you pick the line weight and colour (as in the DXF, all black or greys). Add several DXFs and get one PDF with one page per drawing. Nothing is uploaded and there is no sign-up.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; your drawings are never uploaded.
Your files (click one to see it)
This DXF does not say which units it uses ($INSUNITS is missing or 0), so millimetres are assumed. If the size looks wrong, choose the units under DXF units.
Layers
Page
Lines and colour
Runs in your browser: the DXF is read by our own code and the PDF is written by the open-source pdf-lib library (MIT), loaded from jsDelivr; your files are never uploaded and nothing is saved. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed. The rights in your own drawings stay as they were. Not affiliated with Autodesk.
How to convert a DXF to PDF
- Drop a DXF on the box, or several; or click Try a sample.
- Check the size line. If the file has no units, choose them under DXF units.
- Choose the page: the same size as the drawing, or a paper sheet; then line weight and colour.
- Download the PDF (or All files in one PDF) and print at 100% (Actual size).
What you can use it for
- Print a 1:1 paper template of a part to check fit before cutting
- Send a drawing to a client or printer who has no CAD program
- Make a PDF of a floor plan or site plan on A3 at a stated scale
- Combine a set of DXF parts into one PDF for a quote
- Archive drawings as vector PDFs that stay sharp when zoomed
- Print plots in black or greys on an office printer
Page size and scale
| Drawing size | Same size as the drawing (10 mm margin) | Smallest metric sheet (A4 to A0) | Fit to the sheet, A4 (enlarged or reduced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 × 70 mm | 120 × 90 mm, 1:1 | A4 portrait, 1:1 | A4, 2.41:1 |
| 180 × 120 mm | 200 × 140 mm, 1:1 | A4 portrait, 1:1 | A4, 1.4:1 |
| 250 × 100 mm | 270 × 120 mm, 1:1 | A4 landscape, 1:1 | A4, 1.14:1 |
| 400 × 280 mm | 420 × 300 mm, 1:1 | A2 portrait, 1:1 | A4, 1:1.66 |
| 600 × 420 mm | 620 × 440 mm, 1:1 | A1 landscape, 1:1 | A4, 1:2.49 |
| 1200 × 800 mm | 1220 × 820 mm, 1:1 | A3 landscape, 1:5 | A4, 1:4.75 |
Computed by the converter itself. Paper sheets keep 18 pt (6.35 mm) side margins and a strip at the bottom for the scale check and a caption with the file name, scale, drawing size and sheet. Standard scales go 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20 and so on. A drawing too big for A0 at 1:1 goes on A3 at a standard scale (or on the sheet you choose).
Line weight in the PDF
| Line weight | In the PDF |
|---|---|
| 0.1 mm | 0.283 pt |
| 0.18 mm | 0.51 pt |
| 0.25 mm | 0.709 pt |
| 0.35 mm | 0.992 pt |
| 0.5 mm | 1.417 pt |
| 0.7 mm | 1.984 pt |
PDF sizes are measured in points: 72 points to the inch, so 1 mm is about 2.835 pt. Thin lines (0.1 to 0.25 mm) suit detailed parts; heavier lines read better on large sheets.
What is converted
| DXF object | In the result |
|---|---|
| LINE | A straight line |
| CIRCLE, ARC | A true circle or arc (SVG); a smooth outline (PDF) |
| LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINE | Straight segments and arcs from the bulge values |
| ELLIPSE | A true elliptical arc (SVG); a smooth outline (PDF) |
| SPLINE | A fine polyline that follows the curve within 0.01 mm at full size |
| TEXT, MTEXT | Real text at its height, angle and alignment, in a standard sans-serif font |
| INSERT (blocks), DIMENSION | Block contents placed with their position, scale, rotation and arrays |
| HATCH, SOLID, POINT | Hatch outlines, filled solids, small crosses for points |
| XLINE, RAY, 3D solids, images | Not converted; the page lists how many were left out |
Layers that are switched off in the DXF start switched off here, and frozen layers are left out, as they would be in a CAD program. Tick them in the Layers list to include them.
DXF units and the size of the result
| $INSUNITS | Units | 1 drawing unit = |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Unitless | not stated: millimetres assumed, choose yours |
| 1 | Inches | 25.4 mm |
| 2 | Feet | 304.8 mm |
| 4 | Millimeters | 1 mm |
| 5 | Centimeters | 10 mm |
| 6 | Meters | 1000 mm |
The units come from the $INSUNITS value in the DXF header. Older R12 files cannot store it at all and some programs leave it at 0, so the drawing has numbers but no units. The page says when that happens and lets you choose millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches or feet, and the size updates straight away.
Print it the right size
- Print at 100% or Actual size; turn off Fit to page and Shrink oversized pages.
- Measure the check square or a known length on the printed page.
- If the drawing is bigger than your paper, choose a larger sheet or a standard scale such as 1:2.
- For a page larger than your printer takes, a print shop can print the Same size as the drawing PDF on large paper.
Measure the drawing first in the DXF viewer, join PDFs with Merge PDF, or turn vector artwork into a PDF with SVG to PDF. Need a DXF from artwork? Try SVG to DXF.
Sources
Sources: Autodesk DXF Reference: header variables ($INSUNITS); Autodesk DXF Reference: LWPOLYLINE (group code 42, bulge); ISO 216 (A-series paper sizes); pdf-lib on GitHub (MIT licence).
Not affiliated with Autodesk.
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See all free tools →Frequently asked questions
Is this DXF to PDF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so your DXF never leaves your device.
How do I print a DXF at 1:1 scale?
Keep Page size on Same size as the drawing, or choose a sheet the drawing fits on at 1:1. Print at 100% or Actual size, not Fit to page. On paper sheets, measure the 25 mm (or 1 inch) check square at the bottom to confirm.
What scale does it use when the drawing is too big?
With a paper sheet and 1:1, or the next standard scale, a drawing that does not fit goes on at the smallest standard scale that fits (1:2, 1:2.5, 1:5, 1:10 and so on) and the scale is printed on the page. Fit to the sheet uses the largest scale that fits, which is usually not a round number; the page says which.
Is the PDF vector?
Yes. Every line, arc and curve is a vector path, and text is real PDF text, so you can zoom in without blur, select the words and measure the drawing in a PDF viewer. Nothing is turned into an image.
Can I choose the line weight?
Yes, from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm for every line. Colours can stay as in the DXF, or be all black or greys for black-and-white printers; white lines (AutoCAD colour 7) print black.
Can I leave layers out?
Yes. Untick layers in the Layers list and they are left out of the PDF and out of the page size. Layers switched off in the DXF start switched off.
Can I put several DXFs in one PDF?
Yes. Add the files, then press All files in one PDF: you get one page per DXF, each with the page size and scale settings you chose.
Why is my drawing the wrong size?
The size depends on the units in the DXF ($INSUNITS). If the file has none, millimetres are assumed and the page tells you; a drawing made in inches then comes out 25.4 times too small. Choose Inches (or the right unit) under DXF units.
Can it convert DWG files?
No. DWG is a closed binary format and this tool reads DXF only. Open the DWG in a desktop CAD program, use Save As or Export and choose DXF (ASCII, any version from R12 to R2018), then add the DXF here.
Is my drawing uploaded?
No. The DXF is read and converted by JavaScript in your browser, so it never leaves your device. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on the number of files.