Commissioned work
Have your drawing converted to DXF
Pencil on graph paper, a yellowed production drawing from the eighties, or a photo of the sketch on your kitchen table: we rebuild the drawing in CAD and deliver a DXF file a machine can actually work with.
A drawing becomes a DXF file by reconstructing its contour in CAD on the dimensions written on it. With a hand drawing there is nothing to convert — no geometry exists, only pencil on paper. What matters is therefore not the file format but whether the drawing carries enough dimensions to define the part unambiguously.
What each kind of source makes possible
Converting a drawing to DXF is not a question of format but of dimensions. There is no converter for paper anyway — the drawing gets reconstructed either way. What the state of your source decides is how quickly that goes and how often we have to come back with questions.
| Your source | What is possible | What we need for it |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensioned hand sketch | Straight into production, no detours | Nothing further — the dimensions are on it |
| Sketch without dimensions | Possible after a quick exchange | Two or three values measured on the real part |
| Old production drawing | Includes hole pattern, radii and chamfers | A legible scan of the whole sheet including the title block |
| Faded or skewed copy | Possible as long as the figures are legible | A question from us on every ambiguous number |
| Drawing on graph paper | Possible — but squares are not a scale | At least one real dimension in millimetres |
| Contradictory dimensions | Resolved by asking, not by guessing | Your word on which dimension is binding |
If your drawing already exists as a PDF or a scan, the PDF conversion page is the more precise starting point — it covers vector versus pixel sources and why an automatic converter fails when it comes to cutting.
What you receive
- A DXF file with closed contours, ready to cut on laser, plasma, waterjet and milling machines.
- Scale 1:1 in millimetres — the drawing is not traced over but rebuilt on its own dimensions.
- Hole pattern, radii and chamfers exactly as noted; any inconsistencies are settled beforehand.
- Straight edges, true circles and clean transitions instead of redrawn pencil wobble.
- On request also as DWG, or in an older DXF version if your machine requires one.
What we need from you
A hand drawing holds no geometry that could be read out — the dimensions written on it are the only source. The more complete they are, the less we have to ask.
- A photo or scan of the whole drawing, square-on and in focus.
- Every dimension you know — better one too many than one too few.
- Material and sheet thickness, as far as you know them.
- The cutting process — laser, plasma, waterjet or milling.
- A note on which dimensions are binding if the drawing contradicts itself.
How it works
Four steps from drawing to finished file. Nothing is charged until you accept the quote.
Upload the drawing
You create an account, upload a photo or scan of the drawing and describe in two sentences what it should become.
Fixed-price quote
We read the drawing, ask about missing or contradictory dimensions, and send a binding quote.
Approval and prepayment
You accept the quote and receive an invoice with VAT shown. Work starts once payment arrives.
Delivery of the DXF file
The finished file is ready to download in your customer area. If a dimension is off, it gets corrected.
What does it cost?
The price follows the drafting time. A cleanly dimensioned sketch of a sheet-metal bracket is done quickly; a hand-drawn source with forty holes whose dimensions contradict each other in three places is not. That is why the job starts with a binding fixed-price quote rather than a flat rate.
- Simple part
- €30–€50
- Medium-complexity part
- approx. €100
- Highly complex part
- approx. €200
The price depends on the design time required and is calculated individually for each order.
Request a free quoteFrequently asked questions
Does the drawing have to be neatly drawn?
No. It has to be legible, not beautiful. Pencil on graph paper is entirely enough as long as the dimensions are written on it and it is clear what is an outer edge and what is a hole. Wobbly lines get straightened — that is part of the work, not a special case.
There are no dimensions on the drawing. What now?
Then we need them from the real part. A caliper and two or three values are often enough: an outer edge, a hole spacing, a diameter. The rest we derive from the proportions of the drawing and put the result in front of you for checking before anything is made.
I have an old production drawing on paper. Does that work?
Yes, and it is a common case — old drawings are often better dimensioned than new sketches. What matters is a legible scan or a sharp photo of the whole sheet including the title block: the scale is usually stated there, and without it half the information is gone.
Can I use the squares on graph paper as a scale?
Better not. Squares are a hint at proportion but not a dimension: a five-millimetre grid distorts when copied, and photographing it adds perspective on top. A single real millimetre figure on the drawing is worth more than a hundred counted squares.
Do I see the result before anything is cut?
Yes. You receive the file before anything goes into a machine and can view it in your browser. If a dimension differs from your drawing, it gets corrected.
Related
A different kind of source, or the background reading: