CAD Converter
Open an AutoCAD drawing as a PDF anyone can view, save it for an older AutoCAD version, or turn a scan or logo into DXF lines for a laser cutter. No CAD software needed.
CAD Converter
or drag DWG, DXF, DWF … files here ·
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Model space is the full drawing. All layouts exports each paper-space sheet as its own page, as set up in AutoCAD.
Fit to page scales the drawing to fill the sheet. Actual size keeps drawing units 1:1 (1 mm in the drawing = 1 mm on paper) and may span a larger page.
Same as source uses the size set in each layout. A1 and A0 are the usual plotter sheets for architectural drawings.
Auto turns the page to match the drawing's longer side.
Monochrome prints every line black, like plotting with a monochrome.ctb style — best for printed plans on white paper.
White suits printing. Black looks like the AutoCAD drawing area; transparent works for placing the drawing in other documents (not available in JPG).
300 DPI is print quality; 150 is enough for screens. At A1 and 600 DPI an image is 14,000 px wide, so higher values make very large files.
Only used when the input is a photo or scan (JPG, PNG). Outline draws the edges of shapes, good for logos and laser cutting; centreline draws single lines through strokes, good for scanned line drawings and plotters.
Pixels darker than this become lines. Raise it if faint lines are missing, lower it if background noise turns into shapes.
Higher values give fewer, smoother curves; lower values follow the pixels more closely but create more points.
Files are deleted 30 minutes after processingPrivacy policy
Popular conversions
CDR → PDF
CDR to PDF
Turn CorelDRAW CDR files into PDFs that anyone can open and print.
DWG → DXF
DWG to DXF
Turn DWG drawings into DXF files that other CAD and CAM programs read.
DWG → PDF
DWG to PDF
Turn DWG drawings into PDFs anyone can open, view and print.
In short
- 1DWG and DXF drawings become PDF, SVG, PNG or JPG that open without CAD software.
- 2DWG and DXF can be saved for older AutoCAD versions, back to Release 12.
- 3Scans, photos, logos and vector art can be traced into DXF, DWG, SVG, CDR or EPS lines.
- 4PDF output takes ISO A or US page sizes, true 1:1 scale or fit to page, and line weights.
DWG and DXF: which one to send
DWG is AutoCAD's own file format, in use since the early 1980s. It is compact and keeps everything a drawing can hold, but its layout is owned by Autodesk and changes every few AutoCAD generations. A DWG saved by a recent AutoCAD will not open in a much older release, and programs outside the AutoCAD family rely on reverse-engineered libraries to read it, with varying success.
DXF, the Drawing Exchange Format, was created by Autodesk at about the same time for exactly this problem. It describes the same drawing in a documented structure, usually as plain text, which is why nearly every CAD, CAM, laser-cutting and CNC program can import it. The price is size: a DXF is often much larger than the matching DWG, and some newer object types may be simplified on the way.
A simple rule covers most cases. Send DWG to people who will keep working on the drawing in AutoCAD or a compatible program, saved for the version they use. Send DXF to machines and to software from other vendors. Send PDF to everyone who only needs to look, print or comment. The other inputs on the list follow the same logic: DWF is Autodesk's lightweight viewing format, DGN comes from Bentley MicroStation and is common in infrastructure and civil projects, and PLT or HPGL files are plotter output that can be turned back into a viewable PDF or SVG. Vector artwork from Illustrator, CorelDRAW, EPS, WMF and EMF can go the other way, into DXF for cutting.
Pros
- DXF opens in almost any CAD, CAM, laser or CNC program.
- Its documented structure makes problems easier to find.
- Older DXF versions such as R12 read reliably in simple machines.
- Text-based files can be checked or fixed in an editor.
Cons
- Files are larger than the matching DWG.
- Some newer AutoCAD objects are simplified or exploded.
- Very old versions lose features such as some hatch and text styles.
- It is a poor working format; designers keep editing in DWG.
Page sizes for PDF output
| Size | Millimeters | Inches | Pixels at 300 dpi | Long edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 | 33.11 × 46.81 | 9933 × 14043 | |
| A1 | 594 × 841 | 23.39 × 33.11 | 7016 × 9933 | |
| A2 | 420 × 594 | 16.54 × 23.39 | 4961 × 7016 | |
| A3 | 297 × 420 | 11.69 × 16.54 | 3508 × 4961 | |
| A4 | 210 × 297 | 8.27 × 11.69 | 2480 × 3508 | |
| A5 | 148 × 210 | 5.83 × 8.27 | 1748 × 2480 | |
| A6 | 105 × 148 | 4.13 × 5.83 | 1240 × 1748 |
Engineering and architectural drawings are usually made for a specific sheet. Outside North America that sheet is almost always an ISO A size: A1 and A0 for full plans, A3 for reduced sets and A4 for details and attachments. In the US the same role is played by Letter and Tabloid, and both appear under Page size. Leave it on Original to use the paper size stored in the drawing's layout.
Scale decides whether the drawing keeps its real proportions on paper. Actual size (1:1) places the drawing as it was drawn, which is the only setting a builder or machinist can measure from. Fit to page enlarges or reduces it to fill the sheet, which is best when the PDF is only for viewing on screen or sending for comment. Orientation follows the drawing by default, or can be forced to portrait or landscape.
For PNG and JPG output, Resolution sets the pixel density. The chart shows what 300 dpi means for each A size: an A4 page becomes an image roughly the size of a high-resolution photo, while an A0 plan becomes very large. Lower the dpi for a preview to send by message, and raise it only when fine text must stay readable when zoomed. The pixel converter works out other sizes at any dpi.
Lines, colors and AutoCAD versions
AutoCAD version
Shown for DWG and DXF output. AutoCAD 2018 is the default because it covers current software. Pick 2013, 2010, 2007, 2004, 2000, Release 14 or Release 12 when the receiver uses older software; Release 12 DXF is a common request from laser and CNC shops.
What to export
Model space exports the drawing itself. All layouts exports each paper-space sheet as its own page, with the title block and viewports the designer prepared.
Colors
Keep the original colors, switch to Monochrome (black lines) for printing on white paper, or use Grayscale to keep some difference between layers without color. Yellow and light cyan lines, common in CAD, become hard to see on white without these options.
Use line weights
On by default. Prints thick and thin lines as the drawing defines them. Turn it off to draw every line at the same thin width, which can make a dense plan easier to read on screen.
Background
White, black or transparent for PNG, SVG and PDF output. CAD programs often work on a black background; white is usually right for anything that will be printed or put in a document.
Image tracing
For images and scans converted to DXF, DWG, SVG, CDR or EPS. Outlines traces the edges of filled shapes, good for logos and lettering. The center-line mode draws a single line down the middle of each stroke, which suits sketches and engraving. Black/white threshold and Smoothing decide how much detail is kept.
Who uses a CAD converter
Most CAD conversions are done by someone who does not have, or does not want to open, the program the drawing was made in. A contractor needs to read a plan on a phone, a client wants to mark up a design, or a workshop's machine only accepts a certain flavor of DXF. Converting to a neutral format lets the drawing travel without the software. When a set of drawings has to go out together, pack the PDFs or DXFs with Zip Files so the sheet order and names stay intact, and keep the DWG originals as the editable master.
Converting images into CAD lines is a different job. Tracing reads the light and dark areas of a picture and draws vector paths along them. It works best on clean, high-contrast originals such as a logo, a signature or a plan scanned flat; a photo of a sketch taken at an angle gives wobbly lines. The traced result has no layers, dimensions or text objects, only shapes, so expect to tidy it in a CAD or drawing program. For tracing illustrations for the web rather than for machines, the Image to SVG tool is set up for that.
Site and project managers
Read and share plans from architects without installing AutoCAD, usually as a PDF on a tablet or phone.
Convert DWG to PDF at the sheet size of the set.
Laser, plasma and CNC operators
Feed artwork into machines that only import DXF, often an older version.
Save as DXF with Release 12 or 2000 as the AutoCAD version.
Sign makers and engravers
Turn a customer's logo or scan into clean outlines for cutting vinyl or engraving.
Trace the image to DXF or EPS with outline or center-line tracing.
Students and teachers
Hand in or grade drawings made in different CAD programs and versions.
Save for an older AutoCAD version or as a PDF.
How to convert a CAD file
Add the drawings
Drop up to 20 DWG, DXF, DWF, DGN, CDR, AI, EPS, SVG, PDF or image files on the box above, or press Choose Files.
Choose the output
Pick a format under Convert to. For DWG or DXF output set the AutoCAD version; for PDF set the page size, scale and what to export.
Convert and download
Press the convert button, then open the result to check line weights and scale before you send or print it.
CAD converter questions
Is there a way to view a DWG drawing if I don't own AutoCAD?
Convert it to PDF here and open it in any PDF viewer, or to PNG for a quick image. Autodesk also offers a free desktop viewer, DWG TrueView, if you need to measure the drawing. See DWG to PDF.
Someone can't open my DWG. Which version do I pick?
The oldest version the receiver's software can open. AutoCAD 2018 is the default; choose 2013, 2010 or earlier only when someone reports that the file will not open.
Why is my PDF blank or the drawing tiny in the corner?
The drawing has objects far from the main geometry, or the layout is empty. Set What to export to Model space and Scale to Fit to page, then convert again.
Can I convert a PDF or a scanned plan back to DWG?
Vector PDFs convert to lines. Scans and photos are traced, which gives usable outlines but not the original layers, dimensions or text objects, so plan to clean up the result.
Will the PDF be printed at the correct scale?
Choose Actual size (1:1) and the page size the drawing was made for. Fit to page is easier to read on screen but does not keep a true scale.
What is the difference between Model space and All layouts?
Model space is the full drawing at real size. Layouts are the sheets a designer set up for printing, with title blocks and views. All layouts gives one page per sheet.
Can I open CorelDRAW CDR files here?
Yes, CDR is on the input list and can be saved as PDF, SVG, PNG or DXF. CDR to PDF covers the most common case.
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