Software, accessories and safety
Should Your Laser Artwork Be an SVG or a PNG?
Summary
If the laser should follow a line, as when cutting out a nameplate, use a vector format such as SVG or DXF. For a photo or anything with shading, use an image format such as PNG or JPG. LightBurn imports all four. Text inside a vector file should be converted to paths before you import it.
Paths and pixels
A vector file describes shapes as points and lines, so it stays sharp at any size, and you can resize the parts of a layered sign without redrawing an edge. An image file stores tone as a grid of pixels, which is what photographs and scanned artwork are made of.
LightBurn's documentation splits importable files into two groups.
| Type | Formats |
|---|---|
| Vector or mixed | AI, SVG, DXF, PDF, PLT/HPGL |
| Image | PNG, JPG/JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIF/TIFF |
When a file won't import
LightBurn can't read fonts embedded in a file. For a vector file from another program that contains text, install the same fonts on your computer or convert the text to paths in the original program. Programs name this differently: convert to outline, convert to path, or weld. A failed import shows "Nothing Imported" in the status bar at the bottom of the window.
LightBurn also warns that files made by AI tools may not follow their format's standard, which can mean failed imports or unexpected results.
Sources
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