Design File Types

Many different types of files are involved in doing digital design and it can get quite confusing keeping them straight. Here is a very quick overview of different file types and how they can be used with your tools.

• Picture File Types - A file ending in .jpg, .png, or .gif are all picture files. These can be added into RDWorks and burned into wood. The default is as black and white, but if you click on "direct output" they can also be printed as greyscale. You can use a website like this one to convert a picture file to an .svg....
• Vector Files - A file ending in .svg or .dxf is made of vectors, meaning that it can be resized as big as you want without losing any quality. These files are typically the most versatile and work with the most softwares. A site such as this one can convert an .svg to a .dxf (RDWorks only takes .dxf files).
• 3D Files - A file ending in .stl or .obj are 3D objects that can be used in the 3D printer or sliced up to be used in the laser cutter.