What happens when you convert PDF to DXF
- The PDF is turned into a one-page EPS by Ghostscript, and pstoedit traces its drawing into an AutoCAD DXF (release 14) on our conversion server.
- The DXF holds lines, polylines and text with their colours. Curves are written as polylines of short straight segments, which every CAD program and laser cutter reads.
- DXF from this route is outlines only: filled areas become their outlines without a fill, gradients and transparency are dropped, and embedded pictures are left out entirely.
- Only the first page is converted, because a DXF holds one drawing.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert PDF to DXF online
- Press "Choose PDF files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to DXF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each DXF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your PDF and the DXF by then.
Why convert PDF to DXF?
PDF files usually come from documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files. People convert them to DXF because DXF is what CAD programs, laser cutters, CNC routers and vinyl cutters import.
In short, PDF is good at what it was made for, and DXF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer, while DXF does not open in browsers; AutoCAD, LibreCAD, FreeCAD, Inkscape and most CAD and laser-cutting software read it.
How to convert PDF to DXF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your PDF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each DXF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the PDF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the DXF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose PDF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted DXF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose PDF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The DXF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for PDF to DXF
There are no settings: curves become polylines and every object keeps its colour.
For laser cutting and CNC work, check the scale when you import the DXF, since CAD programs ask which unit the drawing uses. Clean, outlined artwork converts best; photos and effects do not survive.
PDF vs DXF: the differences
| DXF | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Document Format | AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format |
| Type | document | image |
| Created by | Adobe | Autodesk |
| First released | 1993 | 1982 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Vector |
| Colour | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images | lines, arcs, polylines and text on layers, with a colour per object |
| In a browser | opens in every browser's built-in viewer | does not open in browsers; AutoCAD, LibreCAD, FreeCAD, Inkscape and most CAD and laser-cutting software read it |
| Common uses | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files | CAD drawings, laser cutting, CNC machining and plotter work |
| MIME type | application/pdf | image/vnd.dxf |
About PDF and DXF files
What is a PDF file?
A PDF fixes the layout of every page so it looks the same on any device. Converting a PDF to an image renders each page to pixels; converting an image to PDF wraps it as a page.
What is a DXF file?
DXF is a text description of a drawing: every line, arc, polyline and piece of text written out with its coordinates and layer. Autodesk published it with the first AutoCAD so other programs could exchange drawings, and nearly every CAD, CNC and laser-cutter program still reads it.
PDF to DXF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in PDF format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .pdf is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert PDF to DXF from the command line
Ghostscript and pstoedit do the same on your own computer:
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=eps2write -dFirstPage=1 -dLastPage=1 -sOutputFile=art.eps input.pdf
pstoedit -f "dxf_s:-splineaspolyline" art.eps output.dxfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PDF to DXF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting PDF to DXF?
Lines and curves keep their shape and position, with curves approximated by short straight segments. Fills, gradients and pictures are not carried over, because this DXF holds outlines only.
Why is the DXF a different size from the PDF?
Usually larger than the PDF, because DXF writes every point of every line as text.
Are my PDF files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful PDF to DXF conversion needs Ghostscript and pstoedit, two open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the DXF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several PDF files to DXF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a DXF file?
DXF does not open in browsers; AutoCAD, LibreCAD, FreeCAD, Inkscape and most CAD and laser-cutting software read it. DXF is common for CAD drawings, laser cutting, CNC machining and plotter work.
Is this PDF to DXF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert PDF to DXF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the DXF is saved to your Downloads folder.