Ordinarily, you would have to import the raster PDF into a computer-aided design (CAD) software application, such as AutoCAD, in order to use the inbuilt overlay feature. This would require you to trace over the outline of the raster drawing so as to create a vector version of the raster image. However, because this is an unnecessarily long and sometimes inaccurate process, Scan2CAD is preferred. This article will detail how to convert PDF raster to vector using Scan2CAD, the world’s leading conversion software.

About Scan2CAD

CAD software such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, LibreCAD, CATIA, Autodesk Revit, and more primarily create, work with, and accept vector-based drawings and files. They cannot edit raster-based drawings and files. Therefore, if you wish to modify the elements in a raster image or drawing, you have to convert PDF raster to vector.

Scan2CAD offers a slew of tools that not only help you clean up the raster drawing for the best results possible but also convert it to vector. For instance, you can smoothen or thicken lines as well as remove holes and speckles – some of the cleaning tools that are part of the software.

Regarding the available conversion tools, you can select the vectorize and object character recognition (OCR) feature that allows you to convert both raster objects and text into vector objects and true-type text, respectively. In fact, Scan2CAD lets you edit certain elements of the converted drawing directly without using a standalone CAD software program.

With that said, how do you convert PDF raster to vector using Scan2CAD? Well, here is how.

Converting Raster PDF Drawings to Vector

Video Tutorial: How to Convert PDF Raster to Vector

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Launch Scan2CAD and import the raster PDF file into the conversion software. Unlike CAD software that cannot open or edit raster files and drawings, Scan2CAD stands distinct as you can use it to both open and edit (clean) raster drawings with the aim of converting them. In this regard, Scan2CAD enables you to convert raster drawings that you could not edit from the onset, doing away with the need to trace over the design’s outline.
2. Click Clean raster image, which opens the Clean Raster Image popup window. Next, check the Threshold (Black & White) box to modify all the colored or grayscale raster objects, including lines, curves, and text, into black and white. Depending on the quality of your raster drawing, you could also use additional tools such as Remove speckles & holes, Thicken, and Smooth. You can also lighten or darken the drawing by increasing or decreasing the threshold value. Once you are satisfied with the cleanup, click OK.

Clean Raster Image Window

3. Toggle the Convert raster image button. Under the General tab of the resultant Convert Raster Image popup window, select the vectorization preset. Scan2CAD allows you to choose one of several options, depending on the type of drawing. Some of the supported preset include mechanical, architectural, electrical, CNC profile, and more. If your drawing includes both lines and text, ensure that you have checked the Vectorize and OCR option. Click the OCR tab, which lets you input the maximum character size. In addition, if your design features vertically or angularly oriented text, check the appropriate box under the Character Rotation section.

Convert Raster Image Window

4. Click Run, which prompts Scan2CAD to create a preview vector drawing. You can make necessary corrections and edits at this stage – after each edit, click Run. If you are satisfied with the revisions in the preview, click OK to finalize the conversion. If not, you can continue modifying the preview accordingly.

5. Click Export to save the converted vector drawing. With Scan2CAD, you can save the vector file using various file formats, including DXF, DWG, and G-Code. Next, click Save.

6. Upon clicking Save, a DXF/DWG Export Options window pops up. Here, you may want to check the Convert black vectors to white. This is especially so if your CAD software has a dark background. Finally, click OK.

DXF/DWG Export Options Window

Parting Shot

Ordinarily, CAD software applications only open and edit vector files and drawings. This has a downside, particularly in cases where you wish to edit a scanned PDF document, i.e., a raster drawing/file. Notably, raster images are composed of pixels. If you were to use CAD applications such as AutoCAD, you would have to import the raster PDF into the program. Next, you would need to trace over the drawing’s outline in order to create a vector version of the drawing. Unfortunately, this is a cumbersome, time-consuming, and sometimes inaccurate process.

Fortunately, Scan2CAD offers convenience, versatility, and utility. It lets you convert PDF raster to vector, as detailed in this article. This is thanks to the numerous features and tools that make it the world’s leading conversion software.

One of the most commonly used formats when it comes to file-sharing in this digital age is the PDF file. It’s a useful format for those who specifically value compact file-sizes since PDF files typically have smaller sizes than their editable counterparts. It’s also a convenient format to share, with it being readable by most machines and even through standard web browsers. And as mentioned, since they’re not editable, what you have are clean, shareable files with little risk of tampering.

Its otherwise un-editable nature starts to become its undoing though when it comes to situations where users actually do need to edit or copy the contents in PDF files – not such a big issue with text PDF documents but gets harder to deal with when we’re talking about technical drawings or hard-copy PDF scans that you’re looking to convert into CAD files. And sure, there are PDF conversion solutions out there, but just as each individual PDF file is different, it’s also tricky to figure out which conversion process will be right for the job.

In this article, we’ll be tackling what to look out for when dealing with PDF documents and finding efficient ways to convert them to CAD files.

PDF and CAD files

Different types of PDF files Source

If we’re dealing with various types of PDF files and CAD files, it would do us well to take some time to discuss the major PDF and CAD file types that we will typically be working with. Essentially, we’ll be taking a look at what input files we have and the output files we want to turn them into.

For input PDF files, we’ll discuss the major difference between PDFs with raster elements and those with vector elements. Additionally, we’ll take a look at cases where the PDF files have both raster and vector elements in them.

When we talk about CAD files, there are too many specific formats to go into detail with one by one. So we’ll just stick to the standard ones that are most commonly used and recognized by most CAD software.

PDF files with raster elements

If you’ve dealt with any digital forms of photos or illustrations, you will no doubt be familiar with raster images. Otherwise known as bitmap images, raster files are images that are made up of clustered, tiny pixels – small dots that, when viewed as a whole, form a cohesive and full image. It’s a digital form of pointillism that is used to convey visual information on screens. The most common image file formats such as .jpg, .png, .gif, and .tif are all examples of raster files. The main tell compared to vector images is that raster images start to get pixelated and blurry the more you zoom in on them.

PDF files with vector elements

Compared to the pixels contained in raster elements, vector images are made of paths which are basically just digital formulas that are expressed by computers into different lines, arcs, fills, and texts. These digital formulas, instead of containing information about colors and pixels, actually contain path-specific information such as line weight, length, curve, and color. Unlike raster images, vector files do not get blurry the more you zoom in on them. Popular vector file formats include most of the standard CAD file formats we use today such as .dwg, .dxf, and .ai.

PDF files with both raster and vector elements

In certain cases, PDF files can have both raster and vector elements in them. This happens usually when technical drawings have embedded raster elements in them such as vicinity maps or company logos. Sometimes, PDF files that are scanned from hard copies can also have both raster and vector elements when the scanner that was used automatically adds a white background or OCR text elements onto the scan. For these types of files, we recommend converting and saving out the raster and vector parts of the PDF files independently since the conversion process for raster and vector elements are vastly different. You should be able to composite the two converted files back together easily in your preferred CAD programs after the fact.

Output CAD files

When it comes to CAD files, the two most standard formats you’ll want to convert to are .dwg and .dxf. Those two usually cover most if not all of the CAD programs you’ll be using to edit the converted CAD files. Even if the CAD program you use doesn’t natively produce .dwg or .dxf files, it will most likely have the option to import those kinds of files for users to edit. It’s useful to note that CAD files are actually types of vector files. In that vein, you’ll have a much easier and smoother time dealing with vector PDF files when converting compared to their raster counterparts. With raster PDF files, you’ll have to go through the extra step of converting them first into editable vector files, automatically or through manual tracing, before you can reliably save them as .dwg or .dxf files.

PDF contents

So you’ve figured out what type of PDF file you’re handling and the CAD file format that most suits your needs. What’s next?

Well, you’ll have to take a critical look at the actual body of the PDF. What are its contents and what are you planning to achieve with those contents? Generally speaking, you’ll be dealing with text documents, technical drawings, and illustrations.

A sample technical document as a PDF Source 

Text PDF

Seeing as we’re looking to convert PDF files into CAD files, text-heavy PDF documents aren’t really at the top of our priority list. Still, it’s important to discuss PDF text since a lot of technical documents do have a lot of text amidst all the drafter lines and details.

You must be thinking – we don’t need to convert PDF text, it’s just a simple matter of copy-pasting the words! For TrueType text in PDF documents, that is indeed true. But often, you’ll be dealing with scanned versions of technical drawings that don’t have vector TrueType versions of the text in the document. That is, the scanned text will be in raster form.

Some scanners actually have OCR capabilities and can ideally convert any scanned text into editable TrueType text automatically. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find scanner OCR software that can reliably convert text without making it look like complete gibberish.

This is where programs such as Scan2CAD would come in handy. It has sophisticated OCR and object-recognition capabilities that can accurately convert any raster text you’ll have on your PDF scan.

Technical drawing PDFs

So when we talk about technical drawings, documents such as floor plans, elevation views, and engineering diagrams all fall in that category. These are, as you’d expect, what users will usually want to convert into CAD files.

Usually, if these PDFs were exported straight out of their original CAD program, they’re bound to be vector PDFs. Like mentioned before, vector PDFs are much easier to handle and convert than raster PDFs and are the best to work with if you’re looking to use them on your CAD software.

Illustrations

These include any sketches or linework of logos and such that users might find the need to open up and edit on CAD programs. These are fairly similar to technical drawings that are also highly graphical and are made up of line objects and fills, but you’ll find that illustration elements on PDFs are typically less complex than technical drawings and are much more forgiving when it comes to conversion accuracy.

One thing to look out for in illustrations is their capacity to be turned into solid-colored or even monochromatic images. The one downside about vector files is that they can’t handle smooth color gradients as smoothly as raster images. So if your logo or sketch PDF has a lot of gradients, chances are that it won’t convert into a CAD file very easily.

Conversion software

Scan2CAD handling a typical raster technical document

Automatic PDF to CAD conversion software come in three main forms – online converters, built-in CAD software tools, and dedicated conversion programs like Scan2CAD.

Online conversion tools

There are certain conversion solutions being marketed online that offer conversion solutions straight from the web. These usually include users uploading their PDF file onto the website and waiting for the site to convert the file and make the converted vector CAD file available for download. Alternatively, some sites send over the converted files through email.

This type of conversion process is usually ideal for simpler illustration or sketch conversion and only for conversion processes that you know you won’t be repeating too regularly. Do keep in mind that this method is not ideal for any confidential PDF files with sensitive information since you’re essentially giving these online conversion tool websites a free copy of the document.

In short, opt for online converters with the following – one-off conversions, simple illustrations or sketches, and monochromatic raster PDFs. Online converters will prioritize ease of use as well as convenience at the slight expense of conversion accuracy and customization.

In-software conversion tools for CAD software

Some CAD programs have PDF-to-CAD conversion functionality already built into the interface. Others will require users to install sanctioned or third-party plugins that can take care of the conversions for them. In any case, this will be the preferred method for those users who are lucky enough to use a CAD program with conversion tools.

This is perfect for vector PDFs that need to be used as references in an already existing CAD file. Do note that not all CAD programs have this option and even those that do might find a hard time converting raster PDFs.

Opt for in-software conversion tools with – CAD programs that have that option, vector PDFs, and PDF files that don’t need a lot of editing or reworking and can be used on CAD programs straight away. In most cases, these tools are best for vector PDFs that have already come straight from CAD program exports.

Dedicated conversion programs

Scan2CAD is the top choice when it comes to picking a conversion program that has advanced object recognition and sophisticated OCR options. The process is highly customizable and easy to tweak using Scan2CAD’s plethora of pre-determined profiles and tons of editable conversion settings. Converting PDF to CAD files would be a breeze.

This is perfect for any raster PDF files, technical documents that need a high degree of accuracy, and any subpar scanned raster PDFs that need to be cleaned up first before converting. That isn’t to say that the Scan2CAD is designed just for raster PDFs – the program can handle both raster and vector PDF files and can output both .dwg and .dxf standard CAD formats.

In this video tutorial, we show how to convert a raster or vector PDF to BricsCAD using Scan2CAD.

BricsCAD is a CAD software developed by Bricsys NV, a company that specializes in 2D and 3D modeling, BIM, and sheet metal design. The program is a relatively new player in the CAD game, only having been established back in 2002 by CAD entrepreneur, Eric de Keyser. It has tons of potential though and boasts robust functionality and ease-of-use that rivals the most established CAD programs available out there.

But if you’re new to the program, experiencing a bit of a learning curve is completely understandable. So today we’ll make things a bit easier to understand by talking about how to import PDF files into BricsCAD.

The Basics of PDF

PDF files are popular mainly for their usefulness when it comes to file sharing. The format is compact and clean, making it convenient to handle over email. It’s even capable of handling digital signatures, so it’s useful for contracts and official documents. Other common uses are for e-publications, technical documents, and detailed blueprints and schematics.

The PDF format is nonetheless notorious for one thing – although it’s convenient for distribution, the contents are hard to extract or edit. CAD programs such as BricsCAD have developed a couple of workarounds for that exact situation and we’ll be going through those processes today.

PDF Types

The PDF file type Source

We’ll get to the process of converting PDF files into BricsCAD files, but we first need to look at the different PDF document types that you’ll encounter when dealing with schematics and blueprints. Specifically, we’ll be taking a look at raster PDFs, vector PDFs, and PDFs with both raster and vector elements.

1. PDF with raster images

Bitmap files, more commonly known as raster files, are image files that are made of pixels. Their quality depends on their resolution or the overall number of pixels they have on the image. The more pixels, the higher the resolution, and the sharper the quality of the image. All the most common image files are raster files, including JPEG, PNG, and GIF files.

PDF files that come from scans of documents will mainly have raster elements. These are a bit trickier to manage since CAD programs cannot natively edit raster elements.

2. PDF with vector elements

In contrast to raster files, vector images are made of paths – mathematical formulas that dictate attributes of geometric graphical elements including length, position, and curve. Unlike raster files, vector files will always have high-quality regardless of the resolution. Common vector file types are DWG, DXF, and g-code formats.

PDF files that are exported from CAD programs will often have vector elements in them. BricsCAD typically outputs DWG and DXF files, which are examples of vector files, so vector PDFs are easy for the program to import and handle.

3. PDFs with both raster and vector elements

At times, PDF files will have both raster and vector elements in the same document. Often, you will have embedded raster images with vector lines on top. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, and it’s the user’s prerogative when it comes to deciding what elements to import into BricsCAD.

How do you import PDF files into BricsCAD?

When importing PDF files into BricsCAD, the process mainly depends on what PDF file type you’re dealing with. There are actually a bunch of specific variations of the PDF, but we’ll keep it simple and focus on raster and vector PDFs. Additionally, you also have a bunch of conversion options to choose from. Let’s go through each of these.

1. Converting a vector PDF to BricsCAD

Converting PDF files Source

One of the reasons BricsCAD is such a useful new CAD program is its ability to handle vector PDF quite well. Some of the even bigger names in CAD don’t have built-in PDF conversion functionality as easy to use as BricsCAD.

1. Click on the Insert option at the top of the BricsCAD interface and under the Import tab, click on ‘PDF Import’. Navigate through the folders and choose the PDF file you want to import.

2. A dialog box should open with various options for opening. Check and change the settings accordingly, although the default settings are usually fine. Click on OK.

3. Click on the spot you want to insert the PDF into and the import should show up.

4. Selecting the PDF lets you tweak its properties. You can change attributes such as the PDF contrast, scale, rotation, and visibility.

5. From here on, double-check your scale and resize your PDF accordingly.

6. If the PDF is purely vector, you can find that your cursor will be able to automatically snap to the ends of the lines on the PDF file and you can even edit them if you need to.

Here’s a video that should help:

2. Converting a raster PDF to BricsCAD

When dealing with raster PDF that you can import into BricsCAD, you’ll find that editing and selecting the lines in the file won’t be possible. In these cases, you’ll have to trace over the PDF underlay and manually recreate the lines yourself.

1. Click on the Insert option at the top of the BricsCAD interface and under the PDF tab, click on ‘Attach PDF’. Like with vector PDFs, Navigate through the folders and choose the PDF file you want to import.

2. A dialog box should open with various options for opening. Check and change the settings accordingly, although the default settings are usually fine. Click on OK.

3. Click on the spot you want to insert the PDF into and the import should show up.

4. Tweak the properties to make tracing over the PDF underlay easier. Specifically set the Fade a bit higher so that it’s easier to see the lines you draw over the PDF.

5. Use BricsCAD’s drafting tools to start recreating the lines of your PDF. Make sure to double-check the scale before starting and fixing it accordingly.

2. Converting a raster PDF using Scan2CAD

Converting a raster file into vector

The erase tool at the left of the interface will be valuable for erasing any parts of the image you don’t want to be converted such as graphic noise and speckles. Other raster edits tools will also be useful for cleaning up the initial raster PDF.
Boot up Scan2CAD and open up the raster PDF to be converted. Use the program’s tools to clean up the image as much as you can before the actual conversion process. The ‘Clean Image’ tool at the top of the interface has many options for you to tweak and test out. Be sure to click on the Threshold option to turn the image completely black and white.

3. Click on ‘Convert Raster Image’ next to the ‘Clean Image’ button. Technical vectorization will usually do the trick for technical drawings; just be sure to pick the appropriate presets according to the contents of the PDF file. Click on ‘Run’ to generate a preview for check and click on ‘OK’ to execute the conversion.

4. The same tools used for editing the original raster image can also be used to do minor edits to the converted vector file. Any major editing is best done on BricsCAD itself later on.

5. While on the Vector tab, click on ‘Export’ at the top right. Choose your file name, file format, and location and you’re done with Scan2CAD. BricsCAD can open DWG and DXF files so choose either of those for your file format.

6. Open up the file on BricsCAD and do any last edits there.

To sum up

Using BricsCAD to open up PDF files that are already vector is the fastest way to handle converting PDF to BricsCAD. If you’re not lucky enough to get a vector PDF, Scan2CAD is perfect for handling any raster PDFs. Manually opening up your raster PDF on BricsCAD and then manually tracing over it should always be your last resort.

We hope this quick how-to article was helpful. Once you’ve converted enough PDFs, you’ll start to figure out what method or even combination of methods work the best.

Let’s jump straight into the video tutorial for converting your (raster or vector) PDF files to DWG using Scan2CAD – the leading computer-aided design (CAD) conversion software.

AutoCAD 2023

AutoCAD 2023 User Interface – My Insights Tab (source)

We’ve talked about AutoCAD plenty of times in the past here at Scan2CAD. It’s an industry standard and is the most recognizable name in CAD to date. It, in fact, commands the largest market share, according to several analyses.

To keep this commanding lead and improve the experience for its customers, AutoCAD’s developer Autodesk releases updates on an annual basis. The updates retain the capabilities introduced in older versions, such as the in-software PDF conversion originally introduced with the launch of AutoCAD 2019. We have explored more on this PDF conversion capability below.

The updates also improve some of the features, as is the case with the Trace feature, introduced with the AutoCAD 2022 and improved upon as part of the most recent launch – AutoCAD 2023. Additionally, the updates add new features. For instance, AutoCAD 2023 has added features aimed at promoting collaboration as well as automating processes. So, what’s new in AutoCAD 2023?

AutoCAD 2023: What’s New?

Autodesk unveiled AutoCAD 2023 toward the end of March 2022, promising users an experience anchored in deeper insight, automation, and collaboration. To that end, the latest edition of the software, which was first released in 1982, introduces the following:

• LISP API to AutoCAD web app
• Markup Import and Markup Assist
• My Insights: Macro Advisor
• Sheet Set Manager

LISP API for AutoCAD Web App

The LISP API offers you access to an environment created by AutoCAD programs that can be tailored to automate workflows, customize your user experience for added flexibility, and simplify common tasks. In addition, the API eliminates the need for users to possess a programming background to use the programs. With AutoCAD 2023, users of the AutoCAD Web App get to use the LISP API, which was previously available to users of the desktop software.

Markup Import and Markup Assist

The new Markup Import and Markup Assist capabilities are designed to enable you to automatically import feedback into the drawing. This feature rides on the success of the Trace feature, introduced with AutoCAD 2022 and improved in the latest update, which enables collaborators to add comments in the form of text that are enclosed in a cloud-like bubble.

My Insights: Macro Advisor

The newly introduced My Insights feature provides AutoCAD users with resources that enable them to learn about new workflows or features. The resources are uniquely tailored in accordance with how you use AutoCAD.

Sheet Set Manager

This new feature allows you to send and open document sheets, facilitating collaboration via Autodesk’s cloud-based document manager and data environment known as Autodesk Docs.

Autodesk has also made several enhancements to other aspects of the software. These include:

• Any active floating window now has its own command line
• The Trace feature has been enhanced to improve collaboration – collaborators can add notes and markups without modifying the drawing
• Autodesk has updated graphics for visualizing 3D models and objects
• The company has added the number of functions for the Count feature

Though we already have blog posts detailing how to convert to a PDF for AutoCAD as well as how to convert PDF to CAD under our belts, the introduction of the AutoCAD in-software PDF conversion necessitates a separate discussion on how to convert a PDF to DWG using AutoCAD.

AutoCAD is a household name in the design, construction, and engineering industries. Workflows will typically include importing PDF copies of plans, blueprints, or technical drawings for editing on AutoCAD. The information included in such documents includes specified dimensions, 3D visualizations, and tabulated simulation and calculation results.

The introduction of the PDF import functionality with AutoCAD 2019 made the conversion of PDFs more seamless and hassle-free. (The feature has been made available in every subsequent release of AutoCAD.) But in choosing the right PDF to use for drafting, a few considerations have to be met.

First, users must consider the resolution and quality of the PDF. Most modern CAD-generated PDFs will usually come with vector information – these types of documents are ideal for importing into AutoCAD. Vector PDFs will be opened and translated into vector linework and elements when imported into AutoCAD. The alternative, raster PDFs, will still be openable on AutoCAD 2019 and every other subsequent version of AutoCAD, including AutoCAD 2023. However, do note that any raster image will be imported as full raster images, and its visible linework and drawing elements will not be editable.

With the basics out of the way, here’s how to convert PDF to DWG/DXF using AutoCAD:

Step 1: Import PDF to AutoCAD

1. Open AutoCAD and create a new DWG file
2. Click the Insert tab and subsequently click the PDF Import icon, which is positioned somewhat centrally on the AutoCAD user interface and is on its own ribbon group
3. The Select PDF File window pops up, prompting you to select the exact file you wish to open; using the file explorer, browse to the file’s location, pick the PDF file, and click Open

Step 2: Specify Importation Options

AutoCAD will also prompt you to select a few import options to ensure the importation process is as seamless as you would want it to be.

AutoCAD Import PDF Options Window

On the Import PDF dialog box, define the following parameters:

4. Specify the number of pages to be imported – if you are dealing with a single-page PDF, don’t worry about this option
5. Choose the scale and rotation
6. Specify the insertion point on-screen
7. Define the PDF data to import, including: the vector geometry, solid fills, TrueType Text, and raster images
8. Select the appropriate options for the layers – specify whether AutoCAD should use PDF layers, create object layers, or use the current layer
9. Define the import options – AutoCAD lets you tick various boxes to define how you want it to import the PDF. For instance, you can choose Import as block, Join line and arc segments, Convert solid fills to hatches, and more
10. Click OK to complete the importation

Step 3: Save File

11. To finish the conversion of the PDF to DWG, simply save the file using the DWG file format

If these steps are confusing, here’s a video that might clear things up –

It is noteworthy that the process above only applies to vector PDFs. You cannot import raster PDFs. Rather, you first have to convert the raster PDF to an image and subsequently import it using the underlay function. Next, you will then need totrace over the raster linework manually. The process is a bit tedious, but if time and elbow grease are in short supply, there are third-party software programs such as Scan2CAD that can automatically take care of the process.

Whether you choose to take care of raster conversion manually or automatically, a crisp, clean raster image will always be the biggest factor in determining the success of the conversion. So always make sure to import the best-quality raster PDF available if there simply aren’t any vector versions available.

Raster vs. Vector

Raster and Vector Images Source

We’ve talked a lot about raster and vector PDFs when importing into AutoCAD 2023. For those of us unfamiliar, let’s take a moment to talk about the main differences between these two image types.

Raster images, also known as bitmap images, are visuals formed by color pixels that are clustered and arranged to create a coherent photo. BMP, PNG, JPEG, and GIF are typical raster file types and will be what you will commonly encounter when dealing with raster PDFs.

Raster images have varying image qualities depending on the number of pixels that they have. More pixels means crisper images, higher resolutions, and better legibility when manually or automatically converting into editable CAD objects.

Working with low-quality, blurry, pixelated raster images will have varying degrees of success, with incredibly pixelated images being outright unusable for conversions. So if you must use raster PDFs, get the best ones you can find.

Vector PDFs, on the other hand, are much easier to work with on AutoCAD. Vector images are made of editable geometric objects that can readily be imported into any software that handles vector editing and drafting. Most of the output files that you get from CAD software are actually vector files, including some of the more recent PDF files that are published from AutoCAD and other CAD software. Other vector file types include DWG, DXF, and G-Code. While raster images are made of pixels, these vector formats are composed of geometric elements and information that define the elements’ properties such as line weights, colors, and lengths.

So in short, all you need to know about raster and vector differences is that raster images are not directly editable why vector images are. So you generally want to be working with vector PDFs or find a way to convert your raster PDFs into vector files.

The only ways to do that are manually tracing over the raster elements or by using software such as Scan2CAD to automatically do that for you.

Using Scan2CAD for Raster-to-Vector Conversion

Typical Scan2CAD interface

In the video at the start of this post, we demonstrate how to can achieve accurate conversions using Scan2CAD. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to convert raster/vector PDF to DWG using Scan2CAD:

Step 1: Import Raster/Vector PDF or Raster image to Scan2CAD

1. Launch Scan2CAD
2. Click Open a File on the welcome screen (if you have toggled the Show this welcome screen at startup option)
3. If the option to display the welcome screen is off, simply click the Open a File on the home screen, select the PDF or image you wish to import into Scan2CAD
4. Click Open
5. Select the number of pages you wish to import on the Import PDF document window that pops up; you can also rotate the image. Finally, click OK

Step 2: Clean Raster Image

Scan2CAD Clean Raster Image Window

6. Click the Clean image button
7. On the Clean Raster Image window that displays, check the Threshold (Black & White) box
8. Check the Remove Speckles & Holes, Thicken Lines, or Smooth boxes, depending on how clean the image is
9. Click OK to complete the cleanup process

Step 3: Convert Raster to Vector

Scan2CAD Convert Raster Image Window

10. Click the Convert image button
11. On the resultant Convert Raster Image window, toggle Vectorize and OCR if your drawing features both geometric and text-based objects; also, select the appropriate vectorization preset
12. Under the OCR tab, set the Character Size; you should also select the appropriate character rotation
13. Click Run to enable Scan2CAD to create a preview of the vector drawing
14. If satisfied with the preview, click OK

Step 4: Save the Drawing as a Vector File

15. Click Export
16. On the Save vector to file window, specify the file name and type (for the latter, choose DWG)
17. Click Save
18. On the DXF/DWG Export Options, ensure the Convert black vectors to white box is checked because AutoCAD, by default, features a dark background
19. Click OK

You can also go through our tutorials to learn more on how to make the most out of Scan2CAD’s conversion process.

Nonetheless, PDF files aren’t perfect. Their strength in wide compatibility often proves a weakness in other areas. In short, they’re great when you only need to view a document; less good when you need to edit it. This can prove a particular problem if you work with software such as AutoCAD.

Luckily, there are ways to convert even the most complex PDF to AutoCAD-compatible file formats. In this guide, we’ll run through the reasons why you might need to perform such a conversion, provide a rundown on what not to do, and show you the best ways to convert any PDF to AutoCAD.

PDF files

Since its initial release in 1993, PDF has become a ubiquitous file format across the globe. Its popularity lies in its ability to display documents in an identical manner on virtually any device. This gives it an edge over formats such as Microsoft Word’s .doc and .docx formats, which can have inconsistent appearances on different displays. Meanwhile, its ability to store text gives it a clear advantage over simple raster file types.

The ability of PDF files to display various forms of data makes them harder to categorize than many other formats. PDFs are able, for example, to display raster images, such as photos or scanned sketches. However, they can also contain vector graphics—though they typically only support simpler entities, such as circles and lines. As a result, PDF is neither strictly a vector nor a raster file type, but a sui generis format.

There are obvious benefits to the complexity of PDF files—but also some drawbacks. A key issue is that PDF files exist to display information. If you wish to edit the contents of a PDF file, you’ll need to convert the file to another format in order to edit it in another program. A common editing software in the CAD industry, for example, would be AutoCAD. However, this conversion process can throw up numerous issues. This means that specific steps must be taken when converting from PDF to AutoCAD-compatible formats.

AutoCAD

As mentioned above, AutoCAD is one of the most commonly used CAD programs on the market. It is the flagship software from Autodesk, and offers users powerful 2D and 3D CAD functionality. For this reason, it is popular across a variety of industries, though it is particularly prominent in the AEC sector. Thanks to its linked application, AutoCAD 360, its users can now work on mobile devices or edit from the cloud.

AutoCAD allows its users to create detailed and accurate technical drawings: a must-have for engineers, architects and product designers. It also allows the attachment of relevant data to these drawings, transforming them from simple images into vital tools for the successful completion of a project.

File formats

The complex information that AutoCAD deals with requires a file format capable of storing it. Raster file types, which simply store color information, are, therefore, unsuitable. Instead, vector file formats are necessary. These formats store each object (such as a line or circle) as a separate, editable entity, to which a user can attach additional data. AutoCAD supports many different file extensions, though two stand out in particular: DWG and DXF.

DWG

The history of the DWG format goes hand in hand with that of AutoCAD itself. DWG has acted as the native file format for AutoCAD ever since its first release in 1982, and stands as one of the most popular file formats in CAD. Due to its popularity, there are also now a number of ways to view DWG files without AutoCAD.

Given its status as AutoCAD’s native file format, it should come as no surprise to learn that DWG is a vector file format. In fact, Autodesk updates the DWG format periodically to reflect changes to AutoCAD itself. This means that DWG is the ideal format for loyal AutoCAD users—particularly those who make use of AutoCAD-specific entities in their drawings. Additionally, DWG also supports both 2D and 3D graphics, making it a flexible choice for designers.

DXF

Though DWG is AutoCAD’s native format, Autodesk is well aware that it isn’t always a designer’s ideal choice. That’s why it created the DXF file format. Unlike DWG, which is intended primarily for use in AutoCAD, DXF is an open standard. This means that virtually any CAD software on the market can open a DXF file. As such, it’s ideal for users who often collaborate with designers who use alternatives to AutoCAD.

DXF is, in many ways, similar to DWG. Both are vector file formats, capable of displaying objects and data present in AutoCAD drawings. However, there are some key differences. DWG is intended to reflect the full range of AutoCAD entities and features. DXF, meanwhile, is meant to act as a lingua franca for many different types of CAD software. As such, it does not support many of the AutoCAD-specific entities that DWG does. It also lacks support for 3D graphics—though, unlike DWG, it is a suitable format for CNC machines.

Converting from PDF to AutoCAD-compatible formats

The PDF format, with its purpose as a medium for displaying information, differs completely from formats such as DWG and DXF, which are for creating and editing designs. However, oftentimes, designers will find themselves needing to edit designs stored as PDF files in AutoCAD.

The solution, therefore, is to convert their PDF to AutoCAD-compatible formats. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. Given the combination of raster data, vector entities and text that can make up a PDF, conversion can be tricky. That’s why we’ve put together this guide showing you the best way to convert your PDF to AutoCAD—with information covering raster, vector, and mixed files.

How not to convert from PDF to AutoCAD

Before we jump into the ways to convert from PDF to AutoCAD, let’s start off with a quick note on how not to do it.

For starters, it’s worth noting that, as useful as Google can be, it can often throw up some less-than-perfect results when it comes to PDF to AutoCAD conversion. Many of the first results you’re likely to find in a standard Google search will be online converters. These tools are generally free—but, as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.

The quality of any conversion produced using an online tool is likely to be low—too low, in fact, to be useful in AutoCAD. Worse still, online conversion tools can leave you open to intellectual property and security risks. If you’re still tempted, make sure to check out our guide covering the pitfalls of online converters.

Meanwhile, some users may wish to try out manual tracing before committing to an automatic conversion tool. A key issue with this is that, whilst many manual tracing tools readily accept various raster file types, they often don’t support PDFs. If, somehow, you do find a tool that allows for manual tracing of PDFs, you’ll come up against another issue: manual tracing is hard. The process is time-consuming and demanding.

It’s certainly true that, if you have the time on your hands, you can achieve good results. However, PDFs can often contain a wealth of complex information. This means that achieving a great quality vector image through manual tracing usually isn’t worth the trouble. Visit our comparison of manual and automatic tracing for more information.

Importing PDFs directly into AutoCAD

For many years, it was impossible to directly import PDF data into AutoCAD. This all changed with AutoCAD 2017: the first release to include PDF file imports as a feature. In 2017, Autodesk built further upon this capability when they released AutoCAD 2018. Every year since, the functionality has been made available in the subsequent releases of the software, including AutoCAD 2023, the most recent version.

Now, it’s possible to import some PDF data into AutoCAD using the PDFIMPORT command. Supported data types include some vector geometry and text, including SHX text as of AutoCAD 2023. If you use this command, AutoCAD will import the data directly from the PDF, enabling you to edit this data and later save it as a DWG or DXF file.

However, it’s worth noting that this command has its limitations. To begin with, the PDFIMPORT command does exactly what it says on the tin—it imports data from a PDF. Whilst this might sound ideal, it can often cause problems. That’s because PDFs only support simple vector entities; AutoCAD, meanwhile, supports much more complex entities, and these might be necessary for your project. If you’re simply importing rather than converting, you could be missing out.

Still, AutoCAD does allow you to transform your vector PDF data into editable geometry. This is not, unfortunately, the case for the raster data in your PDF. The PDFIMPORT command will simply attach any raster data to your AutoCAD drawing as an xref, instead of converting it. If you have drawing data saved in the form of a sketch, this is, therefore, unsuitable for your needs.

Using Scan2CAD

Scan2CAD is the ultimate vectorization software, enabling users to convert to and from a number of different raster and vector formats. This includes the ability to vectorize PDF files in just a few clicks.

Scan2CAD’s automatic PDF-to-vector conversion makes it an ideal choice for any AutoCAD users looking to edit their PDFs. That’s because, unlike some other tools, it’s capable of converting both raster and vector PDFs. It can even handle PDF files which contain both raster and vector elements. Read on to learn exactly how to convert each type of PDF to AutoCAD.

Converting a raster PDF to AutoCAD

From a software point of view, raster-to-vector conversion is incredibly complex. That’s because raster images and vector graphics are totally different. A raster image is made up of colored pixels, whilst a vector image is made up of mathematically defined objects.

The only way to get from raster to vector is through automatic tracing. This involves Scan2CAD working out the appropriate vector entity types for different parts of a raster image. It’s trickier than it sounds!

Luckily, for a Scan2CAD user, the conversion process is simple. To begin with, try to ensure you use a good quality PDF—if necessary (or possible), rescan images to improve their quality. Once you’re happy that your raster PDF is good enough for conversion, load it into Scan2CAD.

Before starting the conversion process, select the best vectorization settings for your image. After that, there are three ways to vectorize your image:

•  : which converts lines, curves and shapes to vectors.
•  : to convert raster text to vector text.
•  : which converts the entire image (both lines and text) to vectors.

Finally, all you have to do is save your image as an AutoCAD-compatible format: DXF or DWG. And that’s it!

For more information, check out our ultimate guides to converting PDF to DXF and PDF to DWG.

Converting a vector PDF to AutoCAD

If your PDF file consists entirely of vector graphics, you may assume that the conversion process is simpler than that of a raster PDF. In some ways, this is true: Scan2CAD won’t need to perform the complex automatic tracing operations involved in vectorizing a raster image, for example.

However, converting from PDF to AutoCAD-compatible formats such as DWG and DXF throws up its own set of issues. This is because PDFs support only a limited range of vector entities. Additionally, some information is lost when saving a drawing in PDF format, resulting in elements being saved incorrectly. When converting your PDF to DWG or DXF, you’ll therefore have to convert these to the correct entities.

Luckily, Scan2CAD makes the process easy. Simply start by loading your vector PDF in Scan2CAD. Use the View Vector Colors tool to turn off the “true” colors of your vector PDF, and instead color vectors by type. You’ll then be able to explore your image, and see whether your entities have been imported correctly. If not, you can change Scan2CAD’s PDF Import Settings to suit the needs of your image. Settings include:

• Make Arcs, Beziers, Circles, Dash Lines, and Arrow Lines
• Load PDF Text
• Load Solid White Rectangles

Once you’ve chosen appropriate settings, you can re-import your vector PDF. The vector elements in your PDF should now appear correctly. If you’re still experiencing any issues, check out our guide to common DWG conversion problems to iron them out. Once everything is sorted, you can save your image as a DWG or DXF.

Converting a PDF with both raster and vector elements

Last, we’ll come to the most complex conversion of them all: converting a PDF containing both raster and vector graphics. Scan2CAD, however, makes this conversion a cinch.

Simply start by loading your PDF into Scan2CAD. You’ll see a dialog window pop up immediately if your file contains both raster and vector elements, with check boxes prompting you to load the raster elements in the PDF, the vector elements, or both. Ensure to check both boxes to convert all elements from PDF to AutoCAD.

From this point, the conversion process basically involves a combination of the two above elements. Using the View Vector Image and View Vector Colors tools, you can isolate the vector elements of the PDF, allowing you to judge the PDF Import Settings you need to use. You can then re-import your PDF, and all vector elements in your file should appear correctly.

Then, use the View Raster Image tool to show only the raster elements of your PDF. Follow the steps in the raster PDF to AutoCAD section above to vectorize these raster elements. Now, all elements in your PDF file should have been successfully converted to vector. All that’s left to do is save your image as a DXF or DWG file—and you’re done!

We hope this guide has covered everything you need to know on converting from PDF to AutoCAD. If you’re still curious, though, feel free to leave any more questions in the comments!

1. It’s necessary for collaboration

If you’re used to dealing with CAD programs like AutoCAD or SolidWorks, you might not immediately see the need for converting PDF files into a compatible format. However, clients are likely to have limited expertise in this area, and may well send files as PDFs. Often their reasoning is sound: PDF is a widely supported file type, so they can be sure anyone receiving the file will have the capacity to access it. They might have no concept of the fact that you can’t just open it and get on with edits and additions. Alternatively, they may be well aware of potential issues, but unable to do anything about them, not having access to CAD software themselves.

You might also start out with a PDF if the drawing has originated from a hard copy. Perhaps it is an old architectural plan of a building, or maybe there’s a hand-drawn sketch you wish to work on. Whatever the reason, you need it on your screen. And when scanning it into the computer, you will be able to save the file as a PDF, but not as a format that is more CAD-friendly.

The difficulties that arise when attempting to edit PDF files makes it often imperative to convert it into a format such as DXF. DXF files are useful because not only are they compatible across CAD software, they can take you from design to manufacturing very easily. As vector files, they contain information that is able to be read by CNC machines, ensuring accurate production of your initial design.

2. Not every part of a PDF file will necessarily need converting from raster to vector

PDFs can contain elements of both raster and vector graphics; the latter referring to parts of the file that are compatible with CAD work. These entities are made up of lines, as opposed to the pixels that form a raster image. Such elements will not undergo further vectorization, but can be imported into your new file all the same.

It is possible to determine which entities of your PDF are raster, and which vector, but to save time and confusion, the software is able to identify them for you. You may decide to load just one of these types, but equally you can load all entities within the file.

You will also be given the option of converting any of the raster graphics into vector. Restrict the vectorization to raster text, lines or shapes—or, to enable them to be used more effectively for CAD or CNC, choose to convert them all. And forget time consuming manual tracing; instead of mouse or graphic pad, Scan2CAD will trace these entities entirely automatically.

Once vectorized, the editing suite allows you to alter any part of the image easily for your desired outcome.

3. It’s very quick and very easy

When converting a PDF into a DXF format, there’s a lot that needs to happen—but, thankfully, not by you.

Simply load your file, and decide which parts of it you wish to convert: you may wish to use only certain pages of your original PDF file, for instance. You’ll also be able to choose different vectorization, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and export settings. To make things even simpler, the software will pick up on individual aspects of your file(s) and display options that are specifically relevant to them.

Then you’re ready to save into DXF format. The whole conversion take just a few clicks of your mouse, and is completed within about half a minute! Suddenly those PDFs you’re sent from clients don’t seem so much of a bother, do they?

For more detailed instructions of the process, see our step-by-step guide to converting your PDF file to a DXF.

4. There are ways you can improve the outcome of your PDF to DXF conversion

During the PDF to DXF process, there are several things that could go wrong. However, with a few pointers, you can reduce susceptibility to all of the most common DXF conversion problems.

Right from the get-go, you will face decisions that will affect the quality of the output. First off, you need to make sure that your input image—the PDF—is scanned into the software in as optimal a manner as possible. Scanning in black and white, where color is not a requirement to your image, proves a big help to the software. It can convert monochrome shapes much more accurately than those that are colored, or even grayscale, which can still include nearly 300 different shades in between black and white.

Ensuring your scan is correctly aligned is another easy way to improve your chances of a successful scan. Although you can use the deskewing tool a little later, such technology can reduce quality—and why bother, when you can manually eliminate the need up-front? No need to worry about it being positioned the wrong way round, though; you can rotate your PDF easily on Scan2CAD.

While there is a whole checklist of things you can do to improve the scanning process, you’ll likely need to work on the image on-screen too. This includes checking that that the lines are thick enough to be recognized (although not thick enough to run the risk of producing multiple lines) and adjusting the color settings of your image.

After the conversion itself, there is a little more to do: the process does not end with a click of the button. Post-vectorization editing is a crucial step that can make all the difference to the quality of your DXF file output.

5. Scan2CAD will recognize text and numbers, although you can give it a helping hand

Optical Character Recognition is a useful piece of kit that can trace over letters and numbers and convert them into editable text. The technology comes in particularly handy when vectorizing old plans, which often contain handwritten labels and notes.

Applying certain settings can be beneficial to the process. You can, for example, choose to split characters that may have bled into each other in their native, raster state. There’s also complete flexibility in how OCR is used: the settings you opt for needn’t apply across your whole document if you don’t deem them suitable.

You can also lend the OCR technology a bit of a helping hand. With handwritten or unclear fonts, it is possible that lettering could be vectorized into a series of lines or arcs, rather than text. Not ideal. So, why not type over the words, and erase the writing beneath it? And remember, if it’s not legible to you, the computer doesn’t stand a chance!

6. You can convert as many PDFs as you like in one go!

What happens when you’ve got multiple PDF files that you need to use within CAD? It rather depends on which converter you opt for. Poor converters, as well as limiting the quality you’ll achieve, will only let you upload one graphic at a time. This is impractical for many users, who require a more extensive use of the service.

Scan2CAD, on the other hand, lets you use the automatic batch conversion option to save time and increase productivity.

Handy for multiple PDF to DXF conversions, there’s no need to upload your PDFs one at a time. It’s a no-corners-cut shortcut: get the same benefits that you enjoy with individual files, including the option to specify your required upload and vectorization settings.

7. You can do it all for free

There are many file converters available online—and you can even find some of these offering the service for free. However, you need to beware of various issues common to many of them. Poor quality is likely to abound: you may find that the output file is watermarked, or a very large in size. Any letters or numbers contained in the PDF may be vectorized as separate entities, leaving words jumbled and totally unreadable. There is also an increased risk that your digital security will be compromised; the risk of malware is not one to be taken lightly, and this is why we warn against the use of cracks.

And if safety and quality weren’t enough, there are various other pitfalls to conversion freeware. They do not tend to offer comprehensive editing suites, which are necessary to optimize your PDF to DXF conversions, nor advanced tools such as OCR.

However, with Scan2CAD, you get all of this (and more) and can even take advantage of a free 14 day trial. During this period, you will have access to the full, professional version of the software. That way, you can test out all of the features we’ve discussed, without committing with your wallet.

And if, and the end of that time, you do decide that paying for the ultimate vectorization software is indeed worth it, you can enjoy the benefits of this market-leading program for as long as you need them.

If you’re new to the Scan2CAD blog, and would like more advice to aid you in all your CAD needs, check out our tips section, featuring more handy hints and tricks on everything from student resources to building the ultimate CAD PC (and with much more in between).

However, whilst PDF files are easy to view, editing them is much trickier. If you wish to edit, use, or repurpose your design (or any elements within it), you’ll need to convert it to a vector image format.

Converting your PDF to DWG means that you can edit your design in many of the most popular CAD programs, including AutoCAD. In this guide, you can find out exactly how to convert your files using Scan2CAD, complete with comprehensive, step-by-step instructions. We’ll even show you how to get your own copy of Scan2CAD—completely free for 14 days.

Table of Contents

• What is a PDF file?
• What is a DWG file?
• Why convert PDF to DWG?
• How does the conversion process work?
• How to convert PDF to DWG with Scan2CAD
• Why you should avoid online converters
• Why use Scan2CAD for PDF to DWG conversion?
• Free Download

What is a PDF file?

PDF, or Portable Document Format, is one of the most common file formats in the world. It has become the standard file format for document exchange due to its wide compatibility across devices. PDF files also popular in the CAD and design industry due to their ability to store both raster and vector elements. It doesn’t matter what hardware or operating system you’re using: PDF files will maintain the same data and formatting across devices.

In comparison to many CAD file formats, PDF has the advantage of being viewable without any specialist software. All you need is Adobe Reader (which comes pre-installed on many PCs), or just a simple web browser.

With small file sizes and the ability to support both raster and vector elements, PDFs are a perfect choice for faithfully displaying the original design with no alterations. You can even add comments to a PDF, making the format a useful part of the CAD workflow. Plus, it’s easy to password-protect a PDF, which makes it easier to manage your files and keep them secure.

What is a DWG file?

DWG (Drawing) is the native file format for AutoCAD, the most popular CAD software on the market. Anyone who works with CAD will be familiar with this format, and if you’ve followed the Scan2CAD blog, you’ll know that we’ve written extensively about this format previously. Created in 1982, the DWG is a proprietary file format owned by Autodesk. This means that developers need a license to use the DWG format in their software.

Due to its status as AutoCAD’s native format, DWG boasts one of the broadest range of features of any vector file type. It supports the full range of vector entities—including elements specific to AutoCAD, such as dynamic blocks—and allows for both 2D and 3D graphics. A DWG file is also usually typically smaller in size than an equivalent DXF file, due to its binary makeup.

The ubiquity of AutoCAD amongst CAD users means that the vast majority of designers will be familiar with this format. Nonetheless, though designed to be used with AutoCAD, there are now many ways to view and edit DWG files with other programs—including Scan2CAD.

Some examples of CAD software that you can use to view and edit DWG files

Why convert PDF to DWG?

PDF is the perfect format for sharing your designs, safe in the knowledge that any collaborators will be seeing exactly what you see, no matter their operating system, hardware or software. However, it hits a major stumbling block when it comes to editing. PDFs are typically very difficult to edit, meaning that they need to be converted to another format in order to be edited.

A further issue is that PDF files can store both raster and vector elements. The raster elements in a PDF are, by nature, not easily editable. In addition, their quality depends on the resolution at which they are displayed. When you alter the scale or zoom in, the image will lose definition and appear blurry and pixelated. Meanwhile, though PDFs can display some vector elements, the range of available entities is very limited. Most vector image editing software is also unable to edit PDF files.

Scan2CAD is able to convert both the raster and vector elements in a PDF file to DWG format, ensuring that you are able to edit the entire file. By converting to DWG, you can also scale the image, and edit and reuse individual elements.

How does the conversion process work? 

The conversion process can be completed in one of two ways: manual or automatic tracing. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Manual tracing

Image Source: graphicdesign.stackexchange.com

This process involves tracing over the entire image by hand. This can be done by using a mouse to trace over every line, or by using a tablet and graphics pen to draw over the raster. This process has quite a few advantages. It has the added benefit of human understanding being the driving force behind it—conversion software won’t be able to figure out what a faded line means, and will just ignore it, whereas you have the knowledge of what the drawing should look like. This means that you can work with images of any quality, because you’re familiar with the drawing or you can make a well-informed guess.

There are a few setbacks to this process, however, as it can be very long and strenuous. The more complex the image is, the more time it will take. Plus, despite the higher level of understanding, humans are still rather inaccurate—a computer is efficient and precise by comparison. 

Automatic tracing

This process makes use of raster-to-vector conversion software like Scan2CAD which detects the lines and edges of your raster image and redraws them as vector lines, curves, polygons and other vector entities. It has many advantages over manual tracing: for starters, it is a very speedy process—Scan2CAD takes mere seconds to convert! Meanwhile, OCR tools are perfect for dealing with any text that may appear in your PDF file, and can convert it to editable text.

If you’re at the mercy of tight deadlines, and you’re working with relatively simple raster images, it’s definitely beneficial to make use of automatic conversion software. 

Want to know more? Check out everything you need to know about manual and automatic tracing.

How to convert PDF to DWG with Scan2CAD

If you have a PDF file containing vector information, you won’t have to do much with it. All you have to do is load it into Scan2CAD, where it is automatically displayed as a DXF—you’ll just need to click Save As to convert it to a DWG. 

If your PDF file is a raster, then you’ll have to follow these quick and easy steps: 

• Load your PDF in Scan2CAD. This is exactly like opening a file in any program. Click File > Raster > Load, and select your PDF file.

• Choose your settings. Scan2CAD comes with a range of specialized vectorization settings which deal with specific image types differently. Use the Type menu to select the settings most appropriate for your image. For extra tips, check out our vectorization settings guide. 

• Convert your image. To vectorize your image you can either click:
   : which converts lines, curves and shapes to vectors.
   : to convert raster text to vector text.
   : which converts the entire image (both lines and text) to vectors. 

• And finally, save your PDF as a DWG. Go to the File menu, click Vector > Save As.

Interested in converting to DXF instead? Learn how to convert from PDF to DXF in our ultimate guide. 

Why you should avoid online converters

With the strong demand for conversion, a myriad of online PDF to DWG converters have appeared. Each of them claims to offer totally free conversion with great results, with no need to download any software.

However, it’s important to be wary of what online converters claim. Online conversion tools simply can’t offer the same processing power as a piece of software running locally on your PC could. Without this extra power, online converters end up sacrificing the quality of their vector output, and some online tools use very simplistic methods for converting from raster to vector. The end result is that you won’t be able to properly edit the converted vector image, making it useless in CAD software.

Not only are online PDF to DWG converters usually a waste of time, but they can also expose you to security and privacy risks. For more details, check out our guide to the pitfalls of online file converters.

Security is paramount. As well as avoiding online converters, make sure to steer clear of downloading a Scan2CAD crack—and keep your files totally secure.

Why use Scan2CAD for PDF to DWG conversion?

Scan2CAD doesn’t just convert your PDF to a DWG, it also uses a set of tools to optimize your conversion output.

1. Efficient file management

A single page of a PDF file may contain hundreds of small raster images. Some conversion programs may treat each of these images separately, leaving you with the task of converting each of them and reassembling the page later—an extremely time-consuming and tricky process. Scan2CAD on the other hand, saves each page as a single file, making it much easier to convert and producing optimal results.

If you convert your PDF using Scan2CAD, you end up with one single raster image:

If you convert your PDF in an online converter, you’ll end up with hundreds of raster images: 

2. Batch processing

With the Pro version of Scan2CAD, you can make use of our batch conversion tool—enabling you to convert hundreds of PDFs in a single click!

3. Drawing of CAD arcs and circles

PDF files typically don’t save CAD arcs or circles—they’re usually made up of short lines or Bezier curves instead, which can be difficult to edit. Scan2CAD replaces these entities with true arcs and circles that are much easier to edit. 

The circle on the left was converted by another PDF converter; the circle on the right was converted by Scan2CAD

4. Retains PDF line types

Some PDF files may contain user defined lines, like a sequence of dashes and dots of varying length and order. Some online converters will convert these line types to the same continuous type. Scan2CAD however, identifies these line types, and saves them accurately to your conversion output. 

The PDF converter on the left converted all line types to a continuous type; Scan2CAD on the right, converted all line types to their correct dash types.

Want to find out more? Check out 22 reasons why you should choose Scan2CAD for PDF to CAD conversion. 

Free download

Scan2CAD is the market-leading conversion software, with a primary focus on converting technical drawings like engineering plans, architectural drafts, and site plans to editable vector images. It comes with a range of incredible tools, including a raster and vector editing suite which enables you to edit your image before and after conversion. giving you optimal results. Plus, with Smart OCR, you can train the software to recognize non-standard fonts, and even handwritten text.

Supporting no fewer than 33 file types, and complete with batch processing, Scan2CAD is truly the full package, with flexible licensing and 24/7 support.

For a better idea of what Scan2CAD has to offer, why not try out a free 14 day trial today? Click the button below to find out just how much you can do with Scan2CAD. 

download scan2cad for free here

Want to find out more? Find out why Scan2CAD is the ultimate vectorization software, and what makes it a cut above the rest.

If you need to convert to DXF, then you need to choose the right conversion software. Enter Scan2CAD, the market-leading DXF file converter. Having been on the market for almost two decades, thousands have already put their faith in Scan2CAD to help get the job done. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to convert to DXF with Scan2CAD, and how to get the software completely free for 14 days.

The Ultimate DXF File Converter

Scan2CAD is a two-in-one solution, which lets you convert from raster or PDF to DXF. The software supports a wide range of raster file types, including (but not limited to) JPEG, TIFF, GIF and PNG.

Converting your image with Scan2CAD takes just 4 simple steps: 

1. Scan or load your raster image
2. Optimize your raster image using the editing suite
3. Convert your raster to DXF 
4. Perfect and make final edits

Scan2CAD’s conversion process makes use of automatic tracing. It detects the lines and edges of your raster image and redraws them as vector lines, curves, polygons and other vector entities. 

Scan2CAD also includes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which detects and recognizes text in images, and automatically converts them into editable vector text. Scan2CAD also stays a step ahead of other converters thanks to its neural networks. These work in the same manner as the human brain, and can be taught to recognize unusual fonts and even handwritten text. For a full list of all the OCR features available with each Scan2CAD package, check out our OCR details page.

Time-Effective Conversion Process

Once you’ve scanned in the raster image you want to convert—or created it in another program—then all you need to do is load it into Scan2CAD, ready for conversion. After you load the image, it takes just seconds to convert from raster to vector, thanks to Scan2CAD’s one-click vectorization process. To convert, just follow these simple steps:

1. Load your file into Scan2CAD by clicking on File > Raster > Load
2. Choose an appropriate image type from the list of vectorization settings in the Type menu
3. Convert your image! To convert, just click the  button to convert lines, arcs, and curves; click  to convert text; or click  to convert both.
4. Save your image as a DXF. Just click on File > Vector > Save As > DXF.

For a more in depth process, check out how to convert a PDF to DXF, or how to convert a PNG to DXF.

Full Editing Suite

In addition to its conversion capabilities, Scan2CAD also offers users an extensive raster and vector editing suite. There’s no need to use a different program—Scan2CAD can convert and edit images, ready for use in CAD, CNC, GIS and CAM programs!

Users can clean up and optimize images before conversion using raster editing tools, to combat common raster issues such as those in the image below:

Common issues with raster images which can affect conversion

Scan2CAD’s specialized tools are designed to eradicate these issues, and maximize your image to its fullest potential. We advise following our raster quality checklist before any conversion, to ensure that you make the most out of your raster image.

Tip: for a quick and easy guide to the process, visit our list of the top 10 raster effects! 

After conversion, users can perfect their vector image using our suite of vector editing tools. You can cut, copy, paste and move elements in your vector image—or add or delete vector entities and text—and get the best possible results.

Convenient

Scan2CAD is one of the most fully-featured conversion programs on the market. With market-leading vectorization and smart OCR, you can get great results when converting from raster to vector. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Scan2CAD also comes complete with a full raster and vector editing suite, enabling you to optimize your raster image before conversion, and add those finishing touches afterwards to get a perfect vector output. Not only that, but you can benefit from our batch processing capabilities to automate conversion for hundreds of files in just a few clicks!

With Scan2CAD, you can rest assured that you’re using a secure program. Online file converters, meanwhile, may promise the earth, but come with a host of security risks and other issues. When you’re dealing with important designs and information, that’s a risk you can’t afford to take. Scan2CAD however, keeps your files safe.

To put it simply, Scan2CAD offers you more for less.

Try It Out For Free

When you’re downloading a new program, it may be tempting to download a cracked copy. However, downloading a Scan2CAD crack can compromise the security of your files and system.

So, is there a 100% secure way to try out Scan2CAD for free? The answer is yes!

Download our free trial and you can make the most of Scan2CAD’s full range of features, completely free for 14 days—with no limits. There are no watermarks, no restrictions—simply download the software and convert as many files as you like. Click on the image below to start your download now!

Before we begin…

Are you looking for free designs which are ‘cut-ready’ for your CNC projects? Check out our library of free DXF designs for CNC. We release new packs every week and they’re all free to use in hobbyist or commercial projects.

Table of Contents:

• What is CNC
• The Design Process: From CAD to CNC
• 8 Tips for Designing for CNC
• Using Scan2CAD to Convert Images for CNC
• Case Study: Reverse-engineering CNC parts

What is CNC?

CNC stands for Computer Numeric Control. The computer converts the CAD design into numbers – graphic coordinates – which control the movement of the cutter. In the diagram on the left, the cutter is at point A (18, 8, 23). The computer-controlled cutter will travel to different sets of coordinates, in sequence, until the desired shape has been manufactured.

Some of the most common types of CNC machines…

From design to CNC fabrication…

It all begins as a drawing, perhaps in CAD software. The design is usually saved as a DXF or DWG – you may need to convert your image to one of these formats first. Then, you’d import your drawing into CAM/CNC software to generate the G-code which will control the CNC machine.

Tip: You can create G-Code formats from you designs directly in Scan2CAD.

There are a few ways you can create your CAD design. In the next two slides, we’ll walk you through the most common workflows.

Example 1:  Manually trace an image creating the vector cut paths 
We’ll start with a photograph of a tractor. Trace around the silhouette and the main features that you want to cut out. Save your design as a DXF file and import it into a CAM program to generate the G-code.

Example 2:  Automatically Converting an image into DXF drawing format
Scan your sketch and save it as a PDF or image format (e.g. JPEG, TIFF). Convert the file to DXF format using conversion software like Scan2CAD. Import the vector DXF file into a CAM/CNC program to generate G-code. In fact, you can also convert and image directly to G-code formats in Scan2CAD.

8 Tips for Designing for CNC

1. Don’t forget to define the scale of your vector image
For precision CNC work, it’s good practice to set the system units to millimeters; and precision or tolerance to 0.5 µm. Scan2CAD has three different ways to scale vectors when exporting them to DXF file format. Check out this article in our User Manual to learn more.

Vector Scale Options in Scan2CAD

2. Place your geometry on a single layer
After designing your CAD drawing, you should make sure it’s been cleaned up before importing it to CAM. For best results, you should:

• Reduce the vector lines to the lowest number of nodes without being detrimental to the design quality
• Only export the relevant parts of your drawing into the final DXF file
• If you need to edit in your CNC software, lock layers that you don’t want to accidentally select or move around

3. Convert splines and arcs
Many CNC machines prefer to work with polylines (i.e. many lines as a single vector entity), rather than a series of broken entities like arcs, beziers and lines. In Scan2CAD, you can convert a spline into a polyline using the vector editing tools. To do so, select Vector Edit Menu, then Modify, then Bezier to Line. Finally, click on the Bezier curve you’d like to convert.

4. Remove spaces and draw one coherent cut path
If you want clean, connected cut lines, then you must ensure that your relevant vector lines are connected. This is especially important when you turn lines and arcs into polylines. Make sure that the lines and arcs join together perfectly by using Snap tools (do not approximate!) AutoCAD users would find the PEDIT command handy for this purpose. In Scan2CAD, you can define a Grab Snap Distance between grab points.

5. Select touching objects and convert them into a single entity
In Scan2CAD, select the Vector Edit Menu, then Modify, then Make Polylines. If there are arcs in your drawings, you must check Include Arcs before converting them into polylines. This function is found by clicking Vector Edit Menu, then Modify > Polylines Options > Include Arcs.

6. Remove overlapping geometry
If there are overlapping vectors in your design, you’re basically instructing the CNC machine to go back and forth in the same area. This is may be OK for some laser etching designs but in most cases it is not practical. Delete duplicate copies of objects. Combine lines that partially overlap (for example, arcs drawn over portions of circles) Combine objects when aligned end-to-end.

7. Set your default Z-Axis Value
In Scan2CAD, you can set the default Z value for all vectors in the CNC export options. (File > Vector > CNC Export Options) You can also set the Z value for individual vector elements should you wish to.

8. Familiarize yourself with the cut width of tools on your CNC cutting system
The depth and width of cut are crucial variables when milling pockets, profiling, facing and performing other machining operations. Understanding your cut width will help you control your feeds and speeds, the Material Removal Rate and how long it will take to complete the operation; as well as the surface finish. The spacing between your toolpaths should be comparable to the diameter of the tool. Also take note that machined corners depend on the size of the end mill, and this affects how to parts fit together. To learn more about CAD and milling strategies, check out this guide to Mastering CAD and CAM for CNC Machining by Michael Zalewski.

Using Scan2CAD to Convert Images for CNC

Why use Scan2CAD to prepare your CNC drawing file? You could either trace an image manually or convert that image automatically! The first option could take hours, or even days – time that could be better spent working on other things! Alternatively, you could load the image file into a raster-to-vector conversion program like Scan2CAD. A few clicks later and voilà! Out comes a DXF file that’s ready to edit in CAD software. Once the image is converted into DXF, you can easily edit it using any CAD program. The Scan2CAD vector editing toolbox offers all the basic functions:

• You can cut, copy and paste certain elements of an existing drawing.
• You can edit specific elements of the drawing, including stretching vectors, converting lines to arcs, and more.

Converting your image to DXF is easy with Scan2CAD!

1. Load the image or PDF file that you’d like to convert.
2. Select the conversion settings. Scan2CAD comes with pre-programmed settings. For example, there is an “Architectural” option that is designed to trace straight lines and right angles, whereas the “Contour Map” setting traces curves well.
3. Click “Convert”. Wait a few seconds and voilà! You have a DXF file that is compatible with any CAD software on the market. After conversion, you can choose whether to display only vector information or to overlay the original raster image as well.
4. Save the DXF file. Now, you can view, edit and clean up the DXF file with any CAD program, before importing it into CAM software. Tip: You can also save in a G-code formats (.nc, .cnc. .tap)

Case Study: Reverse-engineering CNC parts

Shapemakers is an Australian CNC company that manufactures an A0-size scanning system called Deskan Color Express 6. Its clients turn to Shapemakers to scan old gaskets, drawings and seals (up to 1180x870mm in size!) The Deskan 6 software can scan the A0 drawing in strips and stitch these together using the proprietary software.

However, its clients require the drawings in DXF vector format for editing in CAD or cutting on a CNC machine. That’s where Scan2CAD comes in. Our software allows Shapemakers to vectorize their large scans and cut out the parts quickly and easily.

Grab this post as a slideshow

If you’re interested in creating parts yourself, check out our guide to the best CNC kits for beginners.

This guide is brought to you by Scan2CAD, the market leading file conversion and editing software. Scan2CAD includes conversion tools, image editing and cleaning tools, smart OCR, full PDF support, as well as vector recognition and editing. Download your free trial for 14 days, with full access to all of Scan2CAD’s features.

These PDF files contain valuable information required for your CAD work. However, in order to extract the information and make edits to the drawing, you’ll need to convert PDF to DXF or DWG. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Scan2CAD, the market leading file conversion software that you can download for free. With its 20-year track record and clients such as Shell, BBC and Intel, it’s the file conversion brand that you can trust.

1. Highly Accurate PDF-to-DXF conversion

Scan2CAD can extract both raster and vector information contained within your PDF file, including vector entities like polylines, polygons and text; as well as embedded raster images and metadata. It also includes an OCR text recognition engine to extract text from images. Scan2CAD also lets you…

• Save vector entities on one single DXF layer or on multiple layers (each layer defined by either color or type)
• Automatically retain any user-defined line types (such as dashes and dots) when converting vector PDF files. It also preserves line width information, which is especially handy when converting electrical diagrams
• Save vector files in the correct size and scale
• Save vectors as True Color (i.e. the exact original color)

The most powerful feature in Scan2CAD has to be our raster to vector conversion engine. The software comes pre-loaded with automatic settings for a wide range of drawings, including architectural, electrical, and mechanical drawings, amongst many others. This enables the software to create the most accurate vector entities possible, giving you optimal results.

Scan2CAD’s raster-to-vector conversion engine comes in handy when dealing with circles and arcs

The PDF file format only supports a limited number of vector entities – and these don’t include arcs or circles. As a result, any circular shapes are converted into short lines or Bezier curves. This output is incredibly difficult to edit. If your drawing includes arcs and circles, be sure to choose software like Scan2CAD that can replace the short lines or Bezier curves with true arcs and circles that are easy to edit.

These circles were imported from a PDF using another conversion program. Instead of appearing as two vector circles, they have been reproduced as a series of small vector lines, making them very hard to edit in CAD.	These circles were imported from a PDF using Scan2CAD. Scan2CAD detected them and reproduced them as easy-to-edit vector circles. Just select the Make Vector Circles option when importing your file into Scan2CAD.

2. CAD & CNC-ready files

After vector conversion, you can export your file as DXF or DWG (and a number of other vector file types). These are the two most widely-used CAD file types in the industry. Not only that, but Scan2CAD is able to read and write files from many different versions of DXF and DWG files. It supports DXF files pre-R14 and DXF R14/LT97 and later, and it supports DWG files for all versions between R12 and R2007-2010. As for input, Scan2CAD accepts both single page and multi-page PDF input. What’s more, when importing your PDF, you can choose to import raster images only, vector images only, or both – and whether it’s a scanned document or a drawing file that’s saved as PDF, Scan2CAD can convert your file to DXF. You can even rotate the PDF page when loading it! After you’ve vectorized your files, they’re ready for use in CNC machining.

Still deciding which CNC machine to start with? Check out our guide to the best CNC kits for beginners!
download scan2cad for free here

3. Full set of vector and raster editing tools

Scan2CAD is an end-to-end file conversion solution. Using just one program, you can scan, edit, and convert your image. You can clean up raster images and prep them for optimal raster-to-vector conversion. After conversion, there’s an entire suite of vector editing tools, meaning you can cut, copy, move, and paste elements within your image, draw new vectors, add text, and more. This can be useful for optimizing poor raster images before conversion, e.g. converting GIF to DXF. 

Scan2CAD comes with a complete suite of raster and vector editing tools

4. Convenient

Using Scan2CAD’s intelligent conversion software can you save hours of precious time. Once you experience the convenience of using raster-to-vector conversion software, you’ll never go back to tracing over raster images manually on your CAD software.

Scan2CAD also supports batch processing so you can automate conversions of thousands of files in a few clicks! All you have to do is select the files or folders you want to convert and choose the right settings. Learn more about batch conversion and automation here.

Scan2CAD is leaps and bounds ahead of competitors when it comes to dealing with raster images. Other conversion software will simply extract the raster images from your PDF, potentially leaving you with a huge number of different raster images for each page of your PDF. It’s not very efficient, and it makes it really hard to edit. Scan2CAD, meanwhile, saves all the raster images on one page as a single image, letting you get on with editing it as normal.

5. Safe and secure

There are plenty of online conversion tools promising great results, absolutely free! It sounds too good to be true – and unfortunately, that’s because it almost always is. Uploading your files to an online tool might not only leave you with a poor quality image – it can compromise the security of your file, leave your company’s intellectual property vulnerable, and comes with the risk of malware being downloaded to your PC. Check out our article on the problems of online file converters to find out more – and find out why it’s better to stick with Scan2CAD.

Try every feature for free

Try the full version of Scan2CAD with our free 14-day trial. This trial version allows you to try every single feature in the professional version of Scan2CAD, all for free. Unlike some other free PDF to DXF and PDF to DWG converters, there are no watermarks printed onto your output files. Click on the image below to download your unlimited trial now.

“I’ve lost the scale information after converting my file to DXF”

The first thing to consider is which type of file you converted to DXF. One of the most common uses of Scan2CAD is conversion from PDF to DXF. As PDFs can be opened universally, images saved under proprietary CAD file types are often converted to PDF before going on to be converted to DXF. The trouble with this approach is that PDFs only store print dimensions, and discard the scaling information from CAD software. PDFs only preserve the relationship between objects (e.g. point A is 20 pixels away from point B). This problem is compounded by the fact that DXFs don’t define physical dimensions using measurements like millimetres or inches.

Define the scale of a DXF file with Scan2CAD

To solve this issue, you’ll have to set the scale again after DXF conversion. Scan2CAD offers three different ways to add scale to your DXF image: DPI, distance or geo scaling. Check out this article in our User Manual for detailed instructions on changing the scale on a vector image.

If you’re converting a PDF file into DXF, you may also lose hatching information. This is because PDF files stores the hatch as a pattern fill, a feature which isn’t supported by DXF. This is also easy to fix post-conversion – just map the resulting value into a hatch entity.

“I want to convert from JPG to DXF”

It’s difficult to extract a clean vector from a pixelated image

Although JPG is one of the most popular image file formats around, it’s not always ideal for conversion to vector formats such as DXF. JPG is a compressed file format, which means that some information is discarded in the interest of saving file space. The downside, however, is that JPG images are usually very distorted when zoomed in. This is an even greater problem for images which could be 2 color (black and white) for example, line drawings for part schematics, or architectural floor plans. This is because JPGs don’t save these drawings in black and white, but as grayscale images, with blocks of pixels in varying shades of gray. Conversion software is unable to group together these pixels, and thus distinguishes the black parts and gray parts as separate vector entities.

We always recommend using a high quality image format like the TIFF file format if possible, which is the standard file format used to exchange raster images between programs. TIFF, or Tagged Image File Format, is commonly used among graphic artists and photographers, as well as in the printing and publishing industry. PNG and GIF formats are also acceptable for images with few colors—to learn more about GIF to DXF conversion click here.

Struggling with converting your JPEG file? Don’t despair—check out our ultimate guides to converting JPEG to DWG and JPEG to DXF to help tackle your vectorization issues!

“I can’t import my DXF file”

Not every DXF file is the same. Every third version of AutoCAD comes with a new version of the DXF file format. Think of it like MS Office – you couldn’t open a Word 2016 file in Word 97. CAD software is much the same – whilst backward compatibility comes as standard, an older version of your software won’t necessarily be compatible with more recent versions of DXF. This issue is especially common when transferring files to a milling machine. It’s good practice to save the file in AutoCAD 2000/DXF format, as this avoids compatibility issues. You can use Scan2CAD to convert between versions of DXF, with support for all versions back to DXF 2000.

When converting a DXF file to an older version, the conversion program either strips out information that is specific to the current version or converts it to another object type. Always remember that converting a drawing to an earlier release format may cause some data loss. To avoid overwriting the original file and losing this data altogether, remember to save the file using a different file name.

“I’ll design my drawing in one CAD program and export it to another using DXF format”

Often, a designer will forget to check the requirements of the output CAD program. This is a common problem if your converted DXF file is meant for manufacturing. DXF files support hundreds of entity types such as hatches, blocks, tapered polylines, TrueType fonts, multi-line text, splines, regions – and many, many more. All of these are very fancy entity types. (For more info, check out our overview of the DXF file format.) In contrast, simple manufacturing formats only contain X-Y coordinates and shapes. It’s therefore very important to make sure that your DXF file contains the necessary information for its intended use.

“It doesn’t matter which file converter I use, they’ll all give me a usable DXF file”

Not all file converters are created equal. It’s tempting to go for an online converter – after all, it’s free, and there’s no need to download any software. Unfortunately, the output is unlikely to be good enough for use in CAD. Often, dashed lines, arcs, and curves will be converted into a series of short straight lines instead of the appropriate line type.

There’s a right way to convert to vector – and a wrong way.

Not only is the choice of converter important, but choosing the right image is key too. You know what they say – “garbage in, garbage out” – and it’s especially true when it comes to file conversion. Make sure to clean up your image before conversion – a few quick retouches can work wonders, and give you vastly improved results. Want to know more about getting rid of speckles, getting crisp lines, and fixing that annoying skew? Head over to our Ultimate Guide to PNG-to-DXF Conversion for all this – and more!

First of all, what is DXF?

The DXF file format is a graphic image format that can be used with any CAD (Computer Aided Design) program. DXF is created to exchange drawings between different CAD programs. It’s a standard, open source file format that is supported by almost all PC-based CAD programs, such as AutoCAD by AutoDesk, Adobe Illustrator, Scan2CAD and CorelCAD.

What file types can you convert to DXF?

You can convert just about any image/drawing file to the DXF file format. Scan2CAD supports more than 20 file types.

• Raster image file types, like JPEG, PNG, GIF and TIFF
• Vector image file types, like SVG
• PDF files
• Other vector file formats such as DWG
• Specialized vector file formats such as CNC

When is DXF conversion required?

There are many instances when you would convert files to DXF. It really depends on the original format of your source file and how the file is intended to be used. Some examples of when DXF conversion is required include:

• • To digitize a hard-copy sketch. This could be a drawing produced the old-fashioned way, using pen and paper! We’ve also seen our users convert old drawings from the 90s and early 2000s, such as floor plans, maps and logos. The soft copy version is usually nowhere to be found! In such cases, you could scan the hard-copy drawing and convert that image into DXF.

• To re-use elements of an existing drawing. It isn’t enough to just scan a sketch – you’d only be left with a raster image, which can only be viewed or traced over. You’ll need a vector image file like DXF if you want to move or scale individual elements within the drawing, copy drawing objects, and make any other edits. Once you convert the image into DXF, you can work with the resulting vector image as you would with any other drawing file.
• To share files between colleagues and collaborators. Since DXF is an open source file format, it’s supported by almost all CAD software on the market. It’s as easy as sharing a PDF!
• As an intermediary format. Designers generally choose to create their initial design in the CAD software that is most familiar to them. Take electronic engineers, for example – they design printed circuit board (PCB) layouts in an MCAD program. Once the design is completed, they may have to share it with another collaborator – the PCB manufacturer. This is where the DXF file format comes in. The drawing is saved as DXF, uploaded into another CAD program and converted into the required format. The PCB manufacturer would need to convert the drawing into a manufacturing format (such as Gerber data, ODB++ and so on).

Here’s a floorplan – before and after conversion. We’ve used Scan2CAD to convert it from a scanned image (left) to an editable vector (right), and saved it as DXF

Read this article for a few typical scenarios where DXF files are used.

What software would I use to convert files to DXF?

You could use software packages that are built for conversion purposes, such as Scan2CAD; or other popular CAD programs like AutoCAD or SolidWorks.

How do I convert files to DXF?

It’s a really intuitive process. You just have to open the original file in your software of choice and then save it in DXF format. If you’re converting raster file types, the raster-to-conversion step is a simple process – the computer handles the actual conversion and you just have to run some simple pre-processing steps.

Would all the elements in my drawing be preserved if I converted it to DXF format?

Yes! The raster-to-vector conversion engine will trace the image and duplicate the drawing using vector objects. However, if you’re converting from another vector file format, beware of custom objects. Objects created on certain CAD packages may not be preserved in DXF format. In addition, you may lose a small amount of drawing data during conversion.

How Scan2CAD and other raster-to-vector conversion software trace images

How do I keep the correct scaling when converting a file to DXF?

If your original file already contains vectors (e.g. a PDF, or another vector drawing file), you can export the scale of these vectors using Scan2CAD. Simply click “File Menu > Vector > Scale Options”. You can export the scale of a vector using three different settings:

• DPI – The DPI resolution that you scanned the drawing at and its relation to the original drawing scale
• Distance – The number of pixels between two reference points (or a distance in feet, inches, etc.)
• Geo – Each pixel represents a certain distance in the X and Y direction

Scan2CAD will prompt you to set scaling options when saving your vector file. To ensure that these are saved, click “Yes”.

How do I reduce the number of lines or node points on curved shapes when converting to DXF?

Vector images are formed of different types of vectors for example Lines, Beziers, Poly-beziers and more. If for example an S shape is represented by lots of little lines it could be better represented by a singular bezier curve. The choice on which vector object to use depends on your vectorization setting.

Here are the different ways of representing a shape in a drawing file

Where can I find additional resources about DXF conversion?

For starters, you can check out our User Manual. This jumbo 100-page guide covers all of the conversion features you can find in Scan2CAD – from basic questions like “how to save a DXF file” to slightly more complex features like “how to edit raster colours”. You should also learn more about pre- and post-processing steps you can take before and after converting files to DXF; as easy as it is to convert DXF files, there are steps you can take first to dramatically improve the quality of your converted image.

What is Scan2CAD?

Scan2CAD is a market leading file conversion software. It also includes a complete raster and vector editing suite, with drawing tools, intelligent cleaning software and OCR. Check out all of Scan2CAD’s features here.

How much does Scan2CAD cost?

Scan2CAD offers two types of licenses – subscription (pay monthly) or lifetime licenses which let you own the software forever. There are also two versions of the software – Pro and Business, so you can choose a version which has the features that you need. Prices start from $89 a month – learn more about Scan2CAD pricing here. If you’d like to try out Scan2CAD before you buy, you can take advantage of our 14 day free trial and try out the full range of features of Scan2CAD.

However, saving your vector graphics and text in PDF format locks them and makes them uneditable. To make further edits to these vectors, you’ll have to convert the PDF to a DXF file – but sometimes you might encounter some problems along the way. So, we’ve put together a list of 5 top hacks that you can use to make the conversion process quicker and easier – and get the best possible results.

Hack #1. Improve your Scanning Technique

Vectorization allows you to convert a scanned image into editable vectors. However, if you don’t scan your image correctly to begin with, you could end up running into problems further down the line. Here’s a handy checklist to help you make sure you’re following the right steps while scanning your image – and help you avoid many common problems encountered during vectorization.

• Choose the correct color setting on your scanner – If you’re scanning a black and white image or drawing, never select the color option. It’s easy to do this by accident as most scanners’ default setting is to scan images in color. Scanning with the monochrome setting will produce a cleaner image containing only two colors – black and white. It’s also important to remember the difference between grayscale and monochrome – grayscale images contain 256 shades of gray, meaning they’re also unsuitable for vectorization.
• Adjust the threshold of your image – If you’re scanning a black and white image or drawing, never select the color option. It’s easy to do this by accident as most scanners’ default setting is to scan images in color. Scanning with the monochrome setting will produce a cleaner image containing only two colors – black and white. It’s also important to remember the differerence between grayscale and monochrome – grayscale images contain 256 shades of gray, meaning they’re also unsuitable for vectorization.

Check out the difference threshold levels makes to your image! You can include as much or as little detail as you want.

• Save your images using TIFF or BMP file format – JPEG and GIF may be common formats, but they’re also lossy file types, meaning they compromise image quality for lower file sizes. Not only that, but they’re also unsuitable for black and white drawings. Saving in a lossless format means better image quality.
• Align the image well – No one wants to spend hours fixing skewed lines. Worse still, using deskewing tools on your image often severely degrades its quality. Avoid these problems by getting image alignment right first time.

Using the Deskewing tool on very skewed images usually results in a significant loss of quality, so best to avoid that!

Hack #2. Scroll Around the Image Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Here’s my favourite hack. When vectorizing an image, you’ll usually have to zoom into it very closely – either before conversion, to clean the image up, or after conversion, to make sure every element is converted as desired. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that make it easy!

• Press F to fill the entire workspace with your image. After zooming in, the screen would be covered in gray area and that’s such a waste of screen space!
• Press Ctrl + Right arrow (→) to move one screen to the right.
• Once you’ve moved all the way across the image horizontally, press Ctrl + Down arrow (↓) to move one screen
• Then, press Ctrl + Left arrow (←) to move one screen to the left.
• Continue with this process until you’ve moved across your entire drawing.

There you have it! A neat and easy way to make sure you’ve checked every part of your drawing, without missing a spot.

Hack #3. Type Over Poor-Quality Text

Ever received a drawing with unusual fonts or handwritten notes? While OCR text recognition can sometimes detect the letters and successfully convert them to vector text, other times it will just convert them into lines and arcs. It can be faster to simply type over it before using the Erase Area tool to get rid of any hard-to-vectorize text.

OCR technology cannot detect handwritten text well, so it might be quicker to type over!

Hack #4. Save it in the Correct Scale

When saving a file in DXF format, Scan2CAD will ask you whether you want to set scaling options. It’s useful for your CAD program to get this information, so if you know the scale of the original PDF file, make sure you input it. Use Scan2CAD’s Vector Scale Settings to select the appropriate units and enter the scaling information.

Hack #5. Convert Multiple PDF Files at the Same Time

One feature that can shave hours off your workload is Scan2CAD’s batch conversion tool. This lets you select multiple files at once, or even whole folders of files, to convert in one go. (A client of ours once had 850 images converted in a single click and in less than four hours!) To learn about this feature in more detail, check out Scan2CAD’s user manual on batch conversion.

If you’re an AutoCAD user, you may want to convert to DWG instead. Learn more in our ultimate guide to PDF-to-DWG conversion.

In order to edit the elements of the PDF file, you’d need to convert the PDF file to a CAD format. What better file type to convert to than DXF, the most compatible CAD file type? In the slideshow below, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about converting files from PDF to DXF in one handy place…

However, the quality of your output DXF file depends heavily on the input file. If you convert a poor image, you may end up spending hours afterwards tidying it up. Here are three common problems to avoid and how to troubleshoot them.

1. Poor image quality

This is a common problem with raster images. They are often of poor quality or low resolution, which can cause issues when converting a PDF or a GIF to DXF. The first thing you can do to check is to zoom into the image.

Here are few common tell-tales of poor image quality:

• Heavy pixelation
• Low resolution. The rule of thumb is that lines need to be about 5 pixels thick in order to obtain a good quality vector output.
• Hairy lines, or lines that have fuzzy/ragged edges
• Dithered lines, or lines that are made up of black speckles. This is often a case if you scanned a pencil-drawn image
• Lines with holes. This may happen when you scan an image at too high a resolution.
• Broken lines, where parts of the line is very faint.
• Shadows. This is common when scanning physical objects
• Merged lines or overlapping elements of your drawing. For example, you could have written some text over a line or overlaid a wiring plan on top of a floor plan. No vectorization software can distinguish one from another.
• Text characters that are touching each other or other drawing elements
• Illegible text. It may sometimes be quicker to retype the text manually than to fix individual text vectors!

You can solve this by:

• Straightening or deskewing the image. Click Raster Effects > Rotate > Autodeskew.
• Cleaning up the image before converting. Click Raster Effects > Clean > Remove Speckles. You can also manually remove dirty spots using the area erase or freehand erase tool. Be careful not to remove inch signs (“) or full stops!
• Crop the image. This one is a no-brainer. If there are unnecessary borders around the edge of your image (common with scans), delete this by cropping the image.
• Smooth the image to remove hairy lines. Click Raster Effects > Smooth
• Thicken lines or pixels.Click Raster Effects > Thicken > Lines / Pixels
• Increase threshold of the image.
• Fill in holes using Raster Effects > Clean > Remove Holes.
• Connect broken lines to produce a continuous vector. Click Type > Settings > Gap Jump Distance

2. Not tidying the image up after conversion

Conversion software like Scan2CAD can save you a lot of time, but it really only does about 80% of the work. You’ll still have to check the image after conversion to make sure that the elements are correctly recognized. For example, a dashed line can be easily mistaken as many short lines. A sharp corner may also be converted into a smooth arc.

Scan2CAD comes with a complete suite of raster and vector editing tools

Here’s one of our favourite tips to facilitate the tidy-up process: use grids (the keyboard shortcut is Shift+I). You’ll have to be zoomed in really close to view the grid, as each grid square is one pixel. This allows you to check whether your lines are clean, straight and so on.

Here are few clever uses of the grid when tidying up images: to align shapes and ensure clean lines

3. Not understanding the output required before conversion

If you’re converting files into DXF for CNC software, learn about the limitations of the CNC cutting system (such as cut width)

Selecting the right vectorization settings also goes a long way in getting a good quality conversion. If the image contains a lot of straight, orthogonal lines, choose Mechanical. If the image contains straight but non-orthogonal lines, choose Site Plan. Drawings with curvy lines suit Contour Map well, as this setting converts shapes into Bezier curves and splines. Select Outline if you want to trace the outline of a solid shape.

While Scan2CAD has default settings to make the most of your image, you can help it recognize some forms better. If your drawing contains elements like dashed lines, arrows, polylines, hatches or circles, make sure these are selected in your settings. Go to Type > Settings > Object Identification to configure these.

Raster PDF vs. Vector PDF

Vector images compared to raster images

Let’s first go over the two main types of PDF files you’ll commonly be dealing with – raster PDFs and vector PDFs.

Raster files are images formed by colored pixels clustered together. Vector files, on the other hand, are made from “paths” – geometric elements with information dictating various characteristics such as curvature, line weight, color, and length.

We can imagine two versions of a Venn diagram image – a raster version and a vector version. The raster version will be made of pixels clustered together to create a portrayal of two interesting circles with the colors of the clustered pixels dictating the color or the diagram parts. The vector version will be made of data dictating the diameters of the circles, the colors of the circles, and the color of their intersecting area. 

For most purposes related to CAD work, it is easier and more accurate to work with vector files. Raster files, depending on their resolution or quality, will sometimes be blurry and inaccurate. Vector files have set values and will readily be editable when converted into a format that your preferred CAD software can work with. So if you’re trying to convert PDF to DXF, always opt to get vector versions of the source file when you can.

Working with a raster PDF

Step 1: Open up the raster PDF.

Click “File” on the top-left corner of the Scan2CAD interface and then select “Open”. Navigate to the PDF file you need to convert on the dialog box that opens up. Click on “Open” after you’ve selected the file.

In the dialog box that follows, you can double-check if the PDF has vector or raster elements. Do note that you’ll have to work on one page of the PDF at a time.

Step 2: Clean up the image.

Click on the “Clean image” tool at the toolbar on the top of the interface. It’s the one shaped like three stars.

In the dialog box that opens up, there are various tools you can use to tidy up the image before conversion. The most important one is the Threshold tool which turns the vector PDF into a black and white image suitable for conversion.

Click on “OK” once you’re done with the edits.

There are various tools you can play around with at the left side of the screen if you want to erase, add, or edit raster elements before you convert them.

Step 3: Convert the image.

Once you’re happy with the cleanup and edits you’ve done, it’s time to move on to the actual conversion step.

Click on the Convert tool next to the Clean image tool and a dialog box will pop up.

There are a bunch of tools you can play around with here, but for most technical drawings, all you have to focus on are the Vectorization method, Options, Vectorization presets, and OCR tab.

Set the Vectorization method to Technical if you’re working with a technical document, set the options to Vectorize and OCR if you want the conversion process to try and convert the raster text in the document to editable TrueType, and tweak the OCR settings according to the text characters in the PDF.

Click on “Run” to perform the conversion and see a preview on the left part of the dialog box. If you’re happy with that preview, click on “OK” to finalize it.

Step 4: Save the image.

From here, you can choose to do some minor vector edits with the tools on the left side of the image, but for any major edits, you’ll want to use your preferred dedicated CAD software.

Just save the converted vector by once again clicking on “File”, then Save as > Vector. In the dialog box that pops up, navigate to where you want to save the file, type in its name, and choose the file format you want to save it as. For most modern CAD software, you’ll want to convert PDF to DXF since DXF is a common file format most programs can handle. Click on “Save” once all of that is done.

Working with a vector PDF

Step 1: Open up the raster PDF.

This part is exactly the same as with a raster PDF. Click on “File” on the top-left corner of the Scan2CAD interface and then select “Open”. Navigate to the PDF file you need to convert on the dialog box that opens up. Click on “Open” after you’ve selected the file.

In the dialog box that follows, you can double-check if the PDF has vector or raster elements. Do note that you’ll have to work on one page of the PDF at a time.

Vector PDF’s have an extra dialog that pops up to let you optimize the vector elements in the PDF before opening it up on Scan2CAD. It’s usually best to leave it at its default settings, but feel free to play around with the Vector Optimization settings at your discretion. You can also access the tool again later on under the Convert sub-menu on the top part of the screen.

Step 2: Save the image.

Since the image is already vector, there’s no need to clean the image nor to convert it. Like with raster PDFs, you can choose to do some minor vector edits with the tools on the left side of the image. But again, for any major edits, you’ll want to use your preferred dedicated CAD software.

Just save the vector by clicking on “File”, then Save as > Vector. In the dialog box that pops up, navigate to where you want to save the file, type in its name, and choose the file format you want to save it as. If the goal was to open it up on your preferred CAD software by converting the PDF to DXF, choose the DXF format. DWG formats also work almost just as well. Click on “Save” once all of that is done.

So that’s the whole process. If it’s a fairly simple image, this won’t take users more than a minute to execute. There are a lot more things you can do with Scan2CAD and you can take a look at all our available video tutorials.

The Ultimate Guide: PDF to DXF Conversion is a comprehensive source for all conversion questions on the Internet. The guide is a practical handbook for users looking to convert PDF files themselves, with step-by-step instructions on how to go about it. For power-users, we’ll go behind the scenes and explain how PDF conversion works, and throw in some top tips too!

Table of Contents

• When and why would someone want to convert PDF files to DXF?
• Case study: Wood routing company converts PDF designs to beautiful wood signs
• How to convert a PDF file to DXF
• Why choose dedicated conversion software over online tools?
• FAQ on PDF to DXF conversion
• What is a PDF file?
• What is a DXF file?
• How does PDF-to-DXF conversion work?
• Using Scan2CAD to convert PDF to DXF

When and why would someone want to convert PDF files to DXF?

Here’s the short answer: we convert PDF files to DXF when we want to edit the contents of the PDF file in CAD software. There are two main benefits of using conversion software to convert files from PDF to DXF:

To save time
Clients and colleagues often share files in PDF format, especially those without a technical background or CAD expertise. Without a conversion program, you’d have to manually redraw the vector file. This could take hours, or even days – time that can be better spent on more vital work functions! Vector conversion software can do the same work within seconds.

Once the PDF is converted into DXF, you can load the drawing into a CAD application. The world is now your oyster and there are all sorts of CAD tools in your arsenal. You can cut, copy and paste certain elements of an existing drawing. You can edit specific elements of the drawing, such as reshape Bezier curves, stretch vectors or convert lines to arcs and so on. It is easy to iterate and reiterate drawings once they’re in DXF format.

To collaborate with other folks
There are amazing benefits to reap by converting files to DXF. This is because the DXF file format is the industry standard for CAD file sharing. In other words, DXF files can be read and edited by any CAD and CNC application in the market; regardless of industry or expertise. You can share your drawing with literally anyone.

All sorts of people and organizations find it useful to convert files from PDF to DXF. We’ve had corporations, independent consultants, government agencies and CAD professionals use our Scan2CAD software.
The opportunities for collaboration are endless too. An architectural designer can receive a PDF floorplan from his client. Once it’s converted to DXF, he can share it with the electrical engineer for wiring plans, structural contractor for structural renovations, landscape designer and so on.

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Case study: Wood routing company converts PDF designs to beautiful wood signs

Before and after: The PDF drawing of a sign brought to life by The Signs Workshop

As you can imagine, PDF files are the lingua franca in the industry. The Signs Workshop is a small business in UK which specializes in making high-quality and environmentally-friendly routed wooden signs. They make grand entrance signs for country parks, sign boards and information boards for shop owners; mileposts and way markers for forest reserves; as well as bespoke wooden products.

The Signs Workshop’s clients mostly share drawings in PDF format. Other times, they’d share rough pictures or logos on business cards, then ask “Can you make a sign of this?” On the other hand, The Signs Workshop employs Licom router software to produce its wooden signs. They required a quick and easy system to convert sketches and PDF files into vector files. Enter file conversion software packages like Scan2CAD.
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How to convert a PDF file to DXF

The actual conversion process itself really quite simple. The steps to converting a PDF file to DXF format varies from software to software, but here’s how it usually goes:

1. Load the PDF file.
2. Select the conversion settings. Most conversion software come with pre-programmed settings. For example, in Scan2CAD, there is an “Architectural” that is designed to trace straight lines and right angles, whereas the “Contour Map” setting traces curves well.
3. Click “Convert”. Wait for a few seconds and voila! You have a DXF file that is compatible with any CAD software in the market.After conversion, you can choose whether to display only vector information or to overlay the original raster image as well.
4. Save the output DXF file.

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Why choose dedicated conversion software over online tools?

There are many different PDF-to-DXF converters available on the market, but whilst all of them perform the same basic task, they are not all created equal.

A quick Google search will reveal plenty of online PDF to DXF converters, which offer free conversion with no downloads. Whilst they may seem tempting, they actually come with a number of disadvantages. Online converters are not able to provide the same quality of conversion, and can leave you with a shoddy vector image that you can’t view or edit in CAD software. Using an online PDF to DXF converter can also expose your files to security and privacy risks.

Alternatively, you could use a full CAD software package, or a PDF editor—but although these applications are safer than online converters, they may be somewhat limited in terms of the features they have on offer. For example, some software cannot convert the raster portions of a PDF file, while others may not retain the true dimensions of the drawing in the PDF.

Dedicated conversion programs, such as Scan2CAD, meanwhile, can handle all of this with aplomb. Scan2CAD comes fully equipped with state-of-the-art conversion features, such as OCR, pre- and post-processing tools, and batch processing. Better yet, there are no limits to file sizes or how many files you are able to convert, and all of your data remains totally secure on your system.

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FAQ on PDF to DXF conversion

Can I convert any PDF file to DXF format?
Yes, you can! We’ve been in the file conversion software business for a long time; more than 15 years to be exact! We’ve seen clients convert all sorts of files – floor plans, network diagrams, organization charts, logos and more.

There is such a large variety of PDF files, with different uses of PDF files. This is because a PDF file can be created on a variety of sources, including word processors, document scanners, print drivers, CAD software and many other programs.

Can I convert PDF files that consist of multiple pages?
Yes, of course. You can even select specific pages in the PDF document that you’d like to convert; or specify the layout in your output DXF file.

Can I convert multiple PDF files at a time?
Yes, most paid software packages offer this feature. All you have to do is select which folder to convert and choose the conversion settings for all the files. For example, Scan2CAD allows you to choose whether you’d like to include raster image in the DXF file or vectorize the raster image.

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Now that we’ve understood the practical/hands-on aspects of file conversion; let’s go behind the scenes. We’ll start with a basic description of the two file types and how the conversion software handles them both.

What is a PDF file?

PDF, or Portable Document Format, is a file format used to present and exchange documents regardless of operating system or hardware used. It doesn’t matter what application you used to create the file, or what device you’re viewing the file on – iMac, Windows laptop, Linux PC, tablet or mobile phone – the PDF document will look exactly the same.

Since the PDF file format is so compatible, it has become the standard file format for document exchange. They are one of a small number of file types that can hold both raster and vector elements and so are very common across the different design industries.

Besides, the PDF files are made for sharing. They are small in size, which is ideal for emailing and sharing over the Internet. A PDF file preserves every element of the document – a document saved in PDF format would look exactly the same on any software, hardware or operating system.
Anyone can view PDF files easily and for free. All computers and mobile devices come with a PDF reader pre-installed on them; many applications also support PDF files.

The PDF document is also suitable for reviewing. Comments can be marked on them without affecting the original file. You can control how your drawing is shared too – PDF files can be password-protected to prevent copying and editing; and electronically signed.
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What is a DXF file?

DXF, or Data eXchange Format, is a graphic image format that is used with CAD (Computer Aided Design programs). As its name suggests, DXF files are used for exchanging drawings between different CAD programs. It has become the de facto industry standard for exchanging CAD files, mainly due to its open-source nature.

Check out our entire series on the DXF file format, which will explain everything you need to know about the format. We’ve covered the commonly asked questions, technical specifications and more.

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How does PDF-to-DXF conversion work?

Before we answer this question, we first have to understand what type of data can be found in a PDF file. Each PDF file captures a complete description of a document, including text, fonts, images and vector graphics. However, the PDF file format can only encode very simple graphic objects (entities). It can only store 2D text, lines, beziers and polygons. It does not store CAD arc or circle entities. It also does not store any information that is specific to the software, hardware or operating system.

PDF files can capture both raster and vector information. For example, if you scanned your hand-drawn sketch and saved it as a PDF, you’d get a raster PDF. Vector PDF files are normally created by saving PDF from a CAD program. PDF documents preserve all source file information. As a result, it’s easy to convert the PDF file back to its original format.

So, let’s get back to the question on how conversion software transforms a PDF file into DXF. The conversion software actually treats both raster and vector elements differently.

• PDF files containing vector information is easier to handle. All the software has to do is extract the vector entities, layers, objects and text. Then, they’ll display and output vector file as DXF. The resulting DXF file, like the original CAD file, will contain the exact same objects and layers that define the drawing.
• Raster images in a PDF file are converted using raster-to-vector conversion technology. The concept used here is called image tracing or vectorization. The software basically traces the raster image and reproduces the drawing using CAD drawing elements. You can trace just outlines, or retain solids and hatches information too.

Of course, there are “hybrid” PDF files that contain both raster and vector images. You’ll want to check the software’s feature list to understand what types of elements are supported.

How image tracing works: The software intelligently identifies shapes and lines and creates CAD objects

All scanned documents are saved as raster images. The scanned document is a picture of the document. Any text information is lost. Hence, the file conversion software has to regenerate the text in the document using smart OCR technology (Optical Character Recognition). It’s the same concept as tracing shapes and lines, except that the OCR algorithm detects letters and numbers.

Different software treat text differently. Great ones saves whole phrases of text in a single layer – this makes the text easily editable. However, subpar conversion software may split the string of text into discrete characters and jumble the positioning of the text.

On the right is CAD text that’s converted using Scan2CAD. On the left is text converted using another software, that isn’t reassembled into the logical sentences very accurately.

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Using Scan2CAD to convert PDF to DXF

Scan2CAD offers a whole set of tools that will optimize your conversion output.

1. Drawing of CAD arcs and circles
PDF files do not save CAD arcs or circles. As a result, any circular shapes are converted into many short lines or Bezier curves. This output is incredibly difficult to edit. If your drawing is composed of a lot of arcs and circles, be sure to choose software like Scan2CAD that can replace the short lines or Bezier curves with true arcs and circles that are easy to edit.

On the left is a typical circle converted into a series of short lines; on the right is a circle converted into a circle object using Scan2CAD

2. Maintain user-defined line types and widths
A PDF file may contain various line types, such as dashes and dots of varying lengths and order. There are also PDF files that are made up of lines of multiple widths, especially electrical and electronic diagrams. If you want to distinguish between the different line types in your output DXF file, look for software that automatically retains user-defined line types.

3. Save vectors in layers according to their colour or type
Vector entities can be saved on one single DXF layer or on multiple layers (each layer defined by either color or type)

4. Efficient file management
A single PDF page can be made up of multiple raster images. Some software saves each raster image in a separate file, whereas Scan2CAD saves all images in a single DXF file.

5. Batch processing
You can convert multiple PDF files in a single click.

With Scan2CAD, you can easily convert from PDF to DWG or DXF in just one click—but Scan2CAD is more than just a file conversion software. There is also a raster and vector editing suite. Users can also edit your vector files within the same program. There is an entire suite of vector drawing tools, including point, line, ortho line, polyline, circle, arc, Bezier curve, rectangle, irregular polygon and text.