Image to SVG for laser engraving

A PNG logo can only be engraved as pixels, and it can't be cut or scored at all. Trace it into vector shapes your Glowforge, xTool or LightBurn setup can work with.

Drop your logo or artwork here

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PNG, JPG, WEBP, BMP, GIF

The converter opens with the recommended settings below. Open the converter without a file

A one-color monogram reading A&K inside a laurel wreath, saved as a PNG — Unedited SVGR output with the settings below. The outer background is removed, but the white inside the ring and the letter counters stay as white shapes, so delete or subtract them before you engrave. The small period after EST was below the speck filter at quality 4.

The same monogram traced to SVG as solid shapes, ready to import into a laser program — Unedited SVGR output with the settings below. The outer background is removed, but the white inside the ring and the letter counters stay as white shapes, so delete or subtract them before you engrave. The small period after EST was below the speck filter at quality 4.

How to turn an image into a laser-ready vector

Start with a clean logo or monogram. Solid, high-contrast artwork traces most cleanly. PNG, JPG, WEBP, BMP or GIF up to 15 MB.
Drop it on this page. The converter opens with the laser settings applied. Converting and previewing are free and need no account.
Check edges and small details. Zoom in on thin strokes and tight gaps. If a detail vanished, raise Quality one step and convert again.
Download the SVG. The download costs one credit. Import the SVG into Glowforge, xTool Creative Space or LightBurn.
Fix overlaps, then assign operations. Subtract stacked holes with a boolean, then choose what engraves, scores or cuts in your laser software.

Recommended settings

SettingValueWhy

Image typeSilhouetteSilhouette keeps solid, flat fills with no gradients and no clipped tiles, which is what laser software reads most reliably. Types such as Engraving always run color refinement and can add gradients, which LightBurn mishandles.

Quality4/10A lower setting drops tiny specks that would turn into scattered engrave marks; raise it if fine lines disappear.

Recognize textNot offered for this typeNot offered for the Silhouette type, so lettering is always traced as shapes; that matters because xTool Creative Space does not render SVG text.

Transparent backgroundOnOn, so the laser doesn't engrave a filled rectangle around your design. Enclosed background areas stay as shapes (see below).

Merge pathsOffHas no effect with the Silhouette type (it only applies to photo types), so leave it off. Quality is the setting that controls how many small shapes you get.

Why a bitmap can only engrave

Laser software can engrave a PNG or JPG line by line, but it can never cut or score it: a bitmap has no outline to follow. To cut a shape out, or to engrave it as a crisp vector fill, you need paths.

Converting an image to SVG for laser engraving gives you those paths. For a logo for laser engraving, that means clean edges at any size instead of pixels stretched to fit the piece.

How Glowforge, LightBurn and xTool read an SVG

What each program does with an imported SVG
Software	How it reads the SVG	What that means for SVGR files
Glowforge	Fills engrave; strokes cut or score.	SVGR files are fill-only, so they engrave. Add a stroke in your design app to cut, and check how your Glowforge settings assign it.
LightBurn	Ignores fill and stroke on import and puts each color on its own layer. Fill mode fills closed shapes; overlaps on the same layer are skipped.	Stacked shapes need a boolean or separate layers (see below).
xTool Creative Space	Opens SVG, DXF, PNG, JPG and BMP. Doesn't render SVG text.	Keep Recognize text off so letters stay as shapes.

Overlapping shapes and holes in LightBurn

SVGR stacks shapes rather than cutting them out. The hole in an O is a background-colored shape drawn on top of a solid disc, and a two-color design is one shape layered over another.

Because LightBurn puts each color on its own layer, turning off the white layer isn't enough: the dark disc underneath still fills in, so the hole engraves solid. Move everything onto one layer instead and Fill mode skips the areas where shapes overlap, which can leave blank spots you didn't plan.

For holes and counters: select the background-colored shape and the shape under it, subtract with a boolean, then delete the leftover.
For two colors you want engraved differently: keep them on separate layers so neither is skipped.
Or fix it once before import with Path > Difference in Inkscape.

If you add cut lines

SVGR gives you filled shapes, which engrave. To cut a piece out, add an outline stroke around it in your design app for Glowforge, or set the shape's layer to cut in LightBurn.

A cut follows the outline of the filled shape. A drawn line in your artwork is a thin shape with two edges, so cutting it traces both sides.

Kerf, the width of material the beam burns away, is typically 0.1 to 0.5 mm. For parts that must fit together, measure your kerf and set LightBurn's Kerf Offset to half of it.

When not to vectorize

Photo engraving is a raster job. Your laser software dithers the photo into dots; tracing it into flat shapes throws the tones away. Engrave the photo directly.
Single-line scoring needs centerlines. SVGR traces filled outlines, never centerlines, so a score line would run twice. Use a centerline tool for that.
LightBurn mishandles gradients. Flatten artwork with gradients or soft shadows to solid colors before uploading.
SVGR downloads SVG or PDF, not DXF. Use the SVG in all three programs above.
Transparent background removes the shape painted in the color found at the image corners, which is what people mean by the background. If your artwork bleeds into all four corners, or the corners are different colors, nothing is removed and the background stays — give the artwork a plain, even margin and convert again. Areas fully enclosed by artwork are never removed, and a PNG that already has a transparency channel is left as it is.
Curves are traced as many short straight segments. Traced from a small image, they can look slightly angular when enlarged, so start from the largest copy you have.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cut with an SVGR file on a Glowforge?

SVGR files contain fills only, and Glowforge treats fills as engraving. Add a stroke in your design app to get a cut or score, and check how your Glowforge settings assign it.

Why does the hole in my letter engrave solid in LightBurn?

The hole is a separate shape stacked on top of the letter, on its own color layer. Subtract it from the letter with a boolean, then delete it.

Does xTool Creative Space open SVGR files?

It opens SVG, along with DXF, PNG, JPG and BMP. Keep Recognize text off, because Creative Space doesn't render SVG text.

Should I vectorize a photo for laser engraving?

No. Photo engraving is a raster job: your laser software dithers the photo into dots. Tracing it into flat shapes loses the tones.

How much kerf offset should I use?

Measure the kerf on your material; it's typically 0.1 to 0.5 mm. In LightBurn, set Kerf Offset to half the measured value.

Can I get single-line score paths?

Not from SVGR. It traces filled outlines, so every line has two edges. Use a centerline tracing tool for single-line scoring.

Related use cases

Cricut and SilhouetteLayered SVG cut files for Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio and Brother ScanNCut.3D printingFilled SVG shapes your slicer or CAD tool can extrude into keychains, signs and plaques.Signatures and handwritingTurn a signature or a loved one's handwriting into a crisp vector for print, merch or engraving.Vinyl and stickersSVG shapes for vinyl decals, die-cut stickers and stencils, with sizing and weeding tips.

Ready to convert?

Converting and previewing are free, with no account needed. Downloading the SVG or PDF uses one credit.