TracerLaser cutting
Turn an image into a file your laser can cut
Tracer traces logos, lettering and line art into closed vector paths, and exports them as SVG or as a DXF in millimetres.
SVG export is free with an account. DXF, EPS and PDF are on the Pro plan.
What a laser needs from the file
A laser doesn't follow pixels. It follows paths, and it takes them literally: a gap, a speck or a wrong unit in the file ends up in the material.
Closed paths. A cut that frees a part has to end where it started. An outline with a gap leaves the part hanging, and an outline in loose fragments makes the head stop and start at every one. Every shape Tracer traces is a closed outline, and the DXF stores each one as a closed polyline.
Units in the file. A DXF says in its header which unit its numbers are in. When the file and your laser software disagree about inches and millimetres, the part comes in 25.4 times too big or too small, which is easy to miss until you check the dimensions. Tracer's DXF declares millimetres ($INSUNITS = 4) and writes every coordinate in millimetres.
A size you set. An image has pixels, not millimetres. Tracer's DXF puts the longest side at 100mm as a known starting point; its SVG carries no physical size at all. Either way, set the real size in your laser software before you cut.
No dust. Every speck in the image is a tiny cut. In the DXF, Tracer drops shapes smaller than 0.8mm at its default size and simplifies every contour, so the beam follows the outline, not the pixel staircase.
How it works
From image to cut file
Upload your image
PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF, BMP or TIFF. Use the largest, cleanest version you have and crop it tight: stray pixels trace too.
Trace it in one colour
Pick a one-colour style: Logo / Line art, Sketch or Tattoo / Stencil. Each shape then comes out as a single outline, the trace a DXF is made from. If lines break up or the background bleeds in, move Threshold in Parameters.
Download SVG or DXF
SVG is free with an account; DXF is on Pro. Open the file in your laser software, set the size and your cut settings, and run a test on scrap first.
Which file for which software
Tracer exports SVG and, on Pro, DXF, EPS and PDF. Not every laser program opens all of them:
| Software | Use | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| LightBurn | DXF or SVG | It imports PDF too. Check the size after import. |
| LaserGRBL | SVG | Its vector import takes SVG only, so the DXF won't open there. |
| RDWorks | DXF | DXF is the vector format its manual lists. SVG isn't in it. |
A DXF needs a one-colour trace. A colour trace downloads as SVG, EPS or PDF instead.
EPS is for design and print software. None of these three lists it as an import format, so leave it out of a laser job.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Not well. A laser cut follows edges, and a photo is made of soft tones that have none. Tracer works best on logos, lettering, silhouettes and line art. A photo is usually better engraved as an image than traced.
Ready when you are
Drop an image,
get clean paths.
Upload an image and get a cut file your laser software can open.