SVG Export coming out 75% smaller than file

Report · Sep 09, 2025

I'm trying to have students use illustrator on iPad to create SVG files to use with our lab-space laser cutter. However, when they export and send me their files, the files I'm getting at 75% of the original size. I tried it myself on my iPad and had the same issue, so I know it's not something they are doing wrong.

As a workflow, I have them working in mm, so they create the workspace in mm, and created shapes at that were ~20x20mm. When they exported and brought into our lasercutter program, they are ~15x15mm. My workaround in the short time is just scalling up by 133% after they send me the files, but I feel like there should be a better solution.

Any suggestions?

Report · Sep 09, 2025

Hi @STEMlabTeacher,

Thanks for sharing the details of the issue and your workflow. Could you let me know if this happens with all files or only with certain ones? It would also help to know the exact app or software being used to open the SVGs on the laser cutter side. If you can share a sample file as well, I'll be able to check it further.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

Report · Sep 09, 2025

Sure, here's the workflow that I had students follow. For the record, they were creating a missing jigsaw piece for a puzzle as their task.

Create a new file, and set the art board to be 60mm by 60mm.
Take a photo of the missing piece with a ruler in frame, and scale the picture so the measurements in image match the ruler tool in illustrator.
trace the missing piece with the Pencil tool to create a path to use in the lasercutter
delete the photo so only the path layer remains.
Use the share button and do Publish and Export > export to> choose svg as the file type. I had them not check responsive (but I also tried with it checked).

the files shared all were 75% smaller when I imported them to either Inkscape or Glowforge's app. (I used Inkscape as a test to see if it also had this issue; I normally do Inkscape to glowforge on my computer without issue). I've attached a sample and screenshots showing that the path should be 35.47mm height , but when I imported to glowforge it's 26.6mm

Report · Sep 11, 2025

Hi @STEMlabTeacher,

Thanks for sharing the details. Please try expert Monika's suggestion about setting up the document in pixels instead of mm and let me know if that helps fix the scaling issue.

Looking forward to hearing back.

Abhishek

Report · Sep 09, 2025

When exporting an SVG Illustrator uses the unit pixel in the code.

What most probably happens is that when converting mm to pixels, Illustrator and your plotter driver use a different resolution.

So in order to correct that, you will have to set up your documents not in mm or inches, but in pixels. For that you need to figure out which resolution the plotter driver uses for conversion.