EveryCutFileWhat each file becomes
| File | In XCS | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Vector paths | Cut, score or engrave |
| DXF | Vector paths; open paths can be closed with the DXF auto-close tolerance, 0.1 mm to start | Cut, score or engrave |
| PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, WebP | A picture | Engrave only |
Prepare the SVG
- Convert any text to paths in your design program; XCS cannot parse text inside an SVG.
- Delete hidden shapes and anything you will not process.
- Import the SVG and select it: check its width and height.
- Set the processing type and settings on every object; an object left without settings may not be processed.
When the design is bigger than the canvas
XCS has a setting for imports too large for the canvas: Ask me every time, Auto-scale it, or Keep its size. With Auto-scale, a large design is shrunk on import and no longer matches the file. Choose Keep its size, or Ask me every time, for files whose size matters, and type the size back if it was scaled. If complex paths make XCS slow, set the display quality to Medium.
A worked example
Our pantry rounded rectangle label, 76 × 42 mm, imports at 76 × 42 mm: it fits the canvas, so no scaling question comes up. Set it to cut, frame it on the material and run a test on scrap. A large design, such as a 300 mm sign, is where the import setting decides the size.
From the maker’s documentation: xTool: importing images, xTool: XCS editor function overview, xTool: XCS model and material settings.