What Is a DXF File?

A plain guide to DXF: what it is, why CAD programs and laser cutters use it, and how to open, check or make one.

A DXF file is a CAD drawing saved in the drawing interchange format, which Autodesk made so drawings can move between programs. It can be plain text or binary. Architects, engineers, laser cutters and CNC shops use DXF because most CAD and cutting software reads it. CAD Editor opens and edits DXF free in your browser.

Open a DXF file now

CAD Editor opens in a new tab. Drag the DXF into it, or choose File, then Open Drawing. You can edit it there too.

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What DXF stands for

Autodesk's own help calls DXF the drawing interchange format. Many people call it the drawing exchange format, which means the same thing. Autodesk introduced it with AutoCAD 1.0 in December 1982, the same release that started DWG (Library of Congress(opens a new tab)).

The difference from DWG is that DXF is published. Autodesk keeps a DXF Reference that describes every part of the file, so any program can read and write it. That is why DXF became the common language between CAD programs, and between CAD and machines.

Text or binary: what is inside a DXF

A DXF file comes in two kinds. An ASCII DXF is plain text: open it in a text editor and you see pairs of lines, a number called a group code and then a value. A binary DXF holds the same drawing in a smaller file that programs read faster, but it is not readable as text.

Either kind holds the parts of a CAD drawing: lines, arcs, circles, polylines and hatches, layers, blocks, text and dimensions, and layouts for printing.

Who uses DXF files

Laser cutting, waterjet and plasma shops, whose cutting software reads DXF outlines.
CNC routing and machining, where CAM software turns a DXF into tool paths.
Architects and engineers sending drawings to consultants who use a different CAD program.
Sign makers, product designers and makers, moving shapes between CAD and illustration tools.
Software developers, because a text DXF is simple to write from code.

How to open a DXF file

In a web browser, on any device: open the free DXF viewer and drag the file in. You can edit it in the same window. No install and no account.
In Google Drive: Drive can show a preview of a DXF file. It cannot edit it.
In a free desktop program: LibreCAD is free and open source, for Windows, Mac and Linux.
In AutoCAD and most other CAD programs, which open DXF directly.

How to make a DXF file

From a DWG: open the DWG in CAD Editor and choose File, Export, Export to DXF. See the DWG to DXF converter.
From scratch: open CAD Editor, which starts on a blank drawing. Draw what you need, then export it as a DXF.
From AutoCAD: use Save As and choose a DXF file type.
From other design programs: look under Export or Save As for DXF. Many CAD and illustration programs offer it.

DXF vs DWG in brief

DXF and DWG at a glance
	DXF	DWG
Purpose	Moving drawings between programs	AutoCAD's own working format
Specification	Published by Autodesk as the DXF Reference	Not published
Stored as	Text (ASCII) or binary	Binary
File size	Larger, when stored as text	Smaller
Laser and CNC software	Widely read	Read by fewer programs

For the other side, read what a DWG file is.

Before you send a DXF to a cutter

A DXF that looks right on screen can still cut wrong. Before you send one, check the units, measure the overall size, turn off layers that should not be cut, and look for doubled lines and gaps at corners. The DXF viewer page walks through each check.

Questions

What is a DXF file used for?

Moving CAD drawings between programs, and sending shapes to laser cutters, CNC machines and other cutting software. Most CAD programs read and write DXF.

What opens a DXF file?

Most CAD programs, including AutoCAD. For free: CAD Editor in any web browser, LibreCAD on a computer, and Google Drive for a preview.

How do I create a DXF file?

Export it from a CAD program. In CAD Editor, draw on the blank drawing or open a DWG, then choose File, Export, Export to DXF. In AutoCAD, use Save As.

Is a DXF the same as a DWG?

No. Both hold CAD drawings, but DXF is the published exchange format and DWG is AutoCAD's own unpublished format. You can convert a DWG to DXF for free in CAD Editor.

Can I open a DXF in a text editor?

Yes, if it is an ASCII DXF. You see pairs of lines: a group code, then a value. A binary DXF does not show as readable text.

Is DXF an open format?

It is openly published. Autodesk publishes the DXF Reference so other programs can read and write DXF files.