File formats · SVG
SVG files for laser cutting
SVG is the standard file for hobby and small-business lasers. xTool Creative Space, LightBurn, Glowforge and Inkscape all read it. But not every SVG is laser-ready, and a few details decide whether it cuts first time.
What is an SVG?
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an open vector format. Instead of pixels it stores paths: lines, curves and shapes with exact coordinates. The laser follows those paths to cut or score, or fills closed shapes to engrave them. Because it is vector, an SVG stays sharp at any size, and because it is plain text, almost every design program can write one.
A laser-ready SVG checklist
- Real units. The file should say its size in millimetres or inches. Without units, programs guess using a DPI, and a 100 mm part can import at 96, 72 or 90 dpi scale, coming out the wrong size.
- Closed paths for anything that should be filled or cut out. An open outline can’t be filled, and a gap in a cut line leaves a part hanging by a thread.
- No duplicate lines. Two lines on top of each other get cut twice, scorching the edge and wasting time.
- Text converted to paths. Fonts aren’t embedded in an SVG; if the laser software doesn’t have the font, it substitutes another one or drops the text.
- Colours that mean something. Use separate colours for cut, score and engrave so each can get its own settings.
- Thin strokes for cut lines. Cut lines are usually drawn as hairline strokes; the stroke width is for display only.
- No hidden clutter. Clip masks, invisible objects and embedded images you don’t need can confuse laser software.
Colour conventions
There is no universal standard, but a common one, and the one Laser Generator Studio uses by default, is red for cut, blue for score or line engrave and black fill for fill engrave. xTool Creative Space imports red paths as cut, blue as score and black fills as engrave. LightBurn puts each colour on its own layer whatever the colours are, so the export dialog can also give each part of a multi-layer design its own colour (more in the LightBurn guide).
Why does my SVG import at the wrong size?
Usually because the file has no real units and the program assumed a different DPI from the one that made it, or because it was pasted rather than imported. Fixes: export with units set to mm, use File → Import, and check your software is set to millimetres. Every SVG from Laser Generator Studio has its width and height in mm, so it imports 1:1.
Why won’t my SVG cut or fill?
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Fill engraving does nothing or fills the wrong area | Path isn’t closed, or shapes overlap |
| A line is cut twice | Duplicate path on top of another |
| Letters are missing | Text wasn’t converted to paths |
| Thousands of tiny segments, slow job | Traced from a low-resolution image |
Drop the file into Import & Nest in the app and its File Doctor checks for open shapes, double lines, tiny bits and wrong sizes, and can repair them in one go.
Make an SVG from scratch
Every studio in the app exports laser-ready SVG: boxes, street maps, living hinges, star maps and many more. To turn a PNG or JPG logo into an SVG, use image to SVG. For CAD and CNC software that prefers DXF, see DXF for laser cutting and SVG to DXF.
xTool Creative Space, LightBurn, Glowforge and Inkscape are trademarks of their respective owners. Laser Generator Studio is independent and not affiliated with them.