DXF to SVG Converter

Turn a DXF drawing into an SVG at its real size, right in your browser. The converter reads ASCII DXF from R12 to R2018: lines, polylines with arcs, circles, arcs, ellipses, splines, text and blocks. Circles, arcs and polyline arcs stay true circles and arcs in the SVG instead of hundreds of short lines, which keeps files small and cuts smooth. Each layer becomes a named group, and you can switch layers off before you save. Choose the SVG units (millimetres, inches or pixels at 96 per inch) and a scale such as 1:1 or 1:10, a line width from a 0.025 mm hairline up, and colours as in the DXF, all black or all red for cut lines. Add several DXFs and download them all as a ZIP. 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.

100% private — runs in your browser
Drop DXF files here or click to chooseASCII DXF from R12 to R2018. One file or several. DWG files need saving as DXF first.

SVG size

Lines and colour

Runs in your browser: the DXF is read by our own code; 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 SVG

  1. Drop a DXF on the box, or several; or click Try a sample.
  2. Check the size line under the preview. If the file has no units, choose them under DXF units.
  3. Switch off layers you do not need, then pick SVG units, scale, line width and colour.
  4. Download the SVG, copy its code, or download all of them as a ZIP.

What you can use it for

  • Send a CAD part outline to a laser cutter or vinyl cutter that takes SVG
  • Put a floor plan or technical drawing on a website at true size
  • Edit a DXF in a vector design app that opens SVG
  • Pull one layer (for example the cut outline) out of a busy drawing
  • Convert a folder of DXF parts to SVG in one go
  • Turn a DXF into an SVG for a plotter or embroidery workflow

What is converted

DXF objectIn the result
LINEA straight line
CIRCLE, ARCA true circle or arc (SVG); a smooth outline (PDF)
LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINEStraight segments and arcs from the bulge values
ELLIPSEA true elliptical arc (SVG); a smooth outline (PDF)
SPLINEA fine polyline that follows the curve within 0.01 mm at full size
TEXT, MTEXTReal text at its height, angle and alignment, in a standard sans-serif font
INSERT (blocks), DIMENSIONBlock contents placed with their position, scale, rotation and arrays
HATCH, SOLID, POINTHatch outlines, filled solids, small crosses for points
XLINE, RAY, 3D solids, imagesNot 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.

SVG units and scale

SVG unitsScaleA 100 × 50 mm part becomes
Millimetres1:1100mm × 50mm
Inches1:13.937in × 1.9685in
Pixels (96 per inch)1:1377.9528 × 188.9764
Millimetres1:250mm × 25mm

Pixels use the CSS rule of 96 pixels per inch, so 1 mm is about 3.78 px. Pick millimetres or inches for cutting and printing, where the size has to be exact, and pixels for web pages.

Line width and colour options

SettingChoicesGood for
Line width0.025 mm hairline, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 mm, or 1 screen pixel at any zoomHairline for laser cutting; 0.25 mm for printing; 1 px for the web
ColourAs in the DXF, All black, All redKeep layer colours for different machine operations, or one colour for one cut
TextKeep as SVG text, Leave text outLeave text out when only outlines should be cut
Circles and arcsTrue circles and arcs, or polylines onlyPolylines for older software that does not read SVG arcs

White lines (AutoCAD colour 7) are written in black so they show on white paper and in design apps.

DXF units and the size of the result

$INSUNITSUnits1 drawing unit =
0Unitlessnot stated: millimetres assumed, choose yours
1Inches25.4 mm
2Feet304.8 mm
4Millimeters1 mm
5Centimeters10 mm
6Meters1000 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.

Check and edit the SVG

Open the DXF in the DXF viewer to measure it first. Tidy the SVG with the SVG Optimizer, edit it in the SVG Editor, or turn it into a picture with SVG to PNG. Going the other way? Use SVG to DXF.

Sources

Sources: Autodesk DXF Reference: header variables ($INSUNITS); Autodesk DXF Reference: LWPOLYLINE (group code 42, bulge); W3C SVG 2: path data, elliptical arc commands; W3C CSS Values and Units Level 3: absolute lengths (1 in = 96 px = 25.4 mm).

Not affiliated with Autodesk.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this DXF to SVG 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.

Will the SVG be the right size?

Yes, when the DXF says which units it uses. The SVG gets a width and height in millimetres or inches (or pixels at 96 per inch) that match the drawing at the scale you pick, and the viewBox uses the same units, so 1 unit in the SVG is 1 mm or 1 inch.

Are circles and arcs kept as circles?

Yes. CIRCLE becomes an SVG circle, and ARC, ELLIPSE and the arcs inside polylines become SVG arc commands with the exact radius. Splines and shapes inside blocks are written as fine polylines that stay within 0.01 mm of the curve. Choose Turn everything into polylines if your software prefers that.

What line width should I use for a laser cutter?

Many laser programs treat very thin lines as cut lines, so the 0.025 mm (0.001 in) hairline with All red is a common choice. Check your machine’s own guide: some want a set colour per operation, which As in the DXF keeps.

Are layers kept?

Yes. Each layer becomes a group named after it, in the same order, so you can hide or select a layer in a vector editor. Layers you switch off here are left out of the SVG.

What happens to text?

TEXT and MTEXT become SVG text at their height, angle and alignment in a standard sans-serif font, so the words stay editable and searchable. CAD fonts are not embedded, so letter shapes can differ a little. Choose Leave text out for cutting files.

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.

Which objects are not converted?

Construction lines (XLINE, RAY), 3D solids, meshes and images have no flat outline to draw, so they are left out and the page tells you how many. Everything else on the visible layers is in the SVG.

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.