digitizemypatternPhoto to DXF
Take one photo of a flat piece lying next to a sheet of Letter or A4 paper, and get its outline back as a DXF at true size. It works for shapes cut from paper or card that lie flat: sewing patterns, templates, gaskets and stencils. The sheet of paper in the frame is what turns pixels into real inches.
Updated October 25, 2026 · digitizemypattern
Turn your photo into a DXF
Lay the piece flat next to a sheet of Letter or A4 paper, take one photo from straight above and drop it here. The outline opens in the editor in about a minute, ready to download as DXF, PDF, PLT and SVG.
What it works for, and what it does not
The software looks for one thing: the edge of a flat piece against the surface it lies on. Anything that gives a clean edge like that turns into a good DXF. Anything else does not, and it is better to know that before you try.
Flat pieces with a clear edge
Paper sewing patterns, cardboard templates for covers and upholstery, gaskets, stencils and any other shape cut from paper or card. Lay it flat on a surface darker than the piece, with the sheet beside it.
Drawings, logos and objects
It does not trace drawings, logos or 3D objects. A sketch on paper, a printed logo or a photo of a shoe gives no usable outline, because what you want is a line inside the picture, not the edge of a flat piece. For artwork, use a vector tracing tool instead.
One piece, whole in the frame
One piece per photo, with the whole piece and all four corners of the sheet in the picture. Creases and curled edges show up as bumps in the outline, so flatten the piece first.
How to convert a photo to DXF
Five steps, a minute or two in total. You need a phone and one sheet of plain paper.
Lay it flat
The piece on a darker surface, a sheet of Letter or A4 paper beside it, not under it.
Shoot from above
Phone held straight over the piece, whole piece and whole sheet in the frame, even light.
Upload
Drop the photo above and say which sheet you used. The outline is ready in about a minute.
Check the outline
The editor shows the outline over your photo. Move points or curves where the edge was missed.
Download
One archive with the DXF, a PDF, a PLT and an SVG, all at true size.
What you get
Four files in one archive, all at the true size of the piece.
For CAD and cutters
The closed outline in millimetres, with notches and a grain line on their own layers (AAMA/ASTM). Open it in our free DXF viewer to check the size.
For a home printer
The piece tiled across Letter or A4 pages with an overlap, plus a test square on page one to check the scale with a ruler.
For a plotter
HPGL for plotters and cutting tables, with internal lines on a second pen.
For vector programs
The same outline with its width and height set in millimetres, so it opens at true size.
How exact is a DXF from a photo?
For an ordinary piece shot straight down in even light we quote about 0.06 in. On our control photograph, 95 per cent of the traced points landed within 1 pixel of the paper edge, measured 3 September 2026 on the sample photo published on this site. A tilted phone, a shadow across the edge or a piece the same colour as the table make it worse, and all three are fixed before you take the picture.
Converting a sewing pattern? Sewing pattern to DXF explains the AAMA layers, notches and grain line, and how the file behaves in Cricut Design Space.
Questions about photo to DXF
Can I convert a JPG or PNG drawing to DXF here?+
Not a drawing. This service finds the edge of a flat piece photographed next to a sheet of paper. A line drawing, a logo or a screenshot has no such edge and no sheet to measure, so it gives no usable outline.
Why does it need a sheet of paper?+
A photo has no scale of its own. The sheet is a known size, so once it is found in the picture the software knows how many pixels make an inch and can also straighten a slightly tilted shot.
Can I photograph a 3D object, like a part or a shoe?+
No. Only flat pieces give a true outline. For an object, trace its shape onto paper or card first, cut it out and photograph that.
What does it cost?+
Nothing while the demo runs: every piece, all four formats, and as many corrections as you need.
Keep reading
A flat piece in, a DXF out.
Free while the demo runs. DXF, PDF, PLT and SVG in one archive.