Image to plotter file

A cutting plotter knows no greyscale. It follows a line and separates inside from outside. That is why the file needs closed contours and nothing else: no background rectangle, no doubled lines, no open ends.

Exactly that is what comes out here. Every connected black area becomes a closed contour, enclosed bright areas become counter contours. From those, the cutting software knows what stays and what gets pulled away.

Suitable source material

• Motifs with a clear outline instead of soft gradients
• Type at a height that can still be weeded
• Shapes without hairline runners and spikes
• Sources that still read in plain black and white

The route is the same for every source. Only the slider values differ.

1. Load the image and start in the result viewDrag your PNG, JPG or WEBP into the drop area. The result view shows right away what the source turns into.
2. Split black from whiteSet black level, contrast and brightness until every line you want is there and the rest disappears.
3. Remove leftovers with the lassoCircle whatever has to go. Hold Alt and the lasso flips around, so only the selection stays.
4. Check the contour in the vector viewInspect counters, gaps and the thinnest parts. Outlines shows the same shape as a bare line.
5. Smooth and simplify with restraintRaise both shape sliders in small steps until the pixel staircase is gone and the shape still holds.
6. Export the format you needDownload the result as PDF, SVG, EPS, DXF or a cleaned PNG. The download starts immediately.

Most cutting programs read SVG directly. Older software and workshop machines want DXF, where every contour sits as a closed polyline on its own layer. PDF is the emergency exit when neither fits.