PDF vs SVG Leather Patterns: Which File Format Do You Need?

A PDF leather pattern is printed on paper and cut by hand. An SVG or DXF leather pattern is loaded into laser cutting software and cut by the machine. Buy the PDF if you work with a knife, buy the SVG and DXF if you own a laser cutter, and buy both if you want to prototype by hand and produce by laser.

Tony See Patterns sells both formats on leather-patterns.com and on Etsy under TonySeePatterns. The PDF catalogue is the larger one, covering backpacks, bags, wallets, hats, shoes and cosplay. The laser cut section is growing, with SVG and DXF files for bags, masks, armour and more. This post explains the difference so you buy the right file the first time.

What is in a PDF leather pattern?

The PDF is a set of pages you print at home at real size. In a Tony See PDF you get real size pattern pieces for every part of the item, every stitching hole pre-marked and matched front to back, a materials list, printing instructions, the licence, and a link to the free step by step video tutorial for that exact build.

Each PDF pattern comes in three paper editions in one download: A4, US Letter and US Legal. You print the edition that matches your printer paper at 100 percent, Actual Size, never Fit to Page. A test page with a 5 cm and 2 inch square lets you confirm the printer is not scaling before you use leather. Larger patterns are split over several sheets that you tape together on the border marks.

The PDF is for hand made leatherwork. The product pages say it plainly: the PDF files are not laser or machine compatible. They are protected against copying and editing, so you cannot open a PDF, trace it and export a cutting file.

What is in an SVG and DXF leather pattern?

The laser download contains SVG and DXF files with every part drawn at true scale, ready to cut. SVG is the vector format most laser software reads directly, including Glowforge and Cricut compatible cutters. DXF is the CAD exchange format that older laser and CNC software prefers. Both are in the download so you can use whichever your machine wants.

You open the file at 100 percent scale in your laser software, do not resize or auto fit, run a small test cut to confirm scale and material settings, then cut the full set. A step by step video tutorial is included with every laser pattern too, because the cutting is the fast part and the stitching still has to be done by hand.

Examples in the shop include the Gothic Bat Wing Bag SVG and DXF, the Hip Bag SVG and DXF, the Half Moon Purse SVG and the Wolf Dog Mask laser file.

PDF vs SVG, side by side

• Cutting. PDF: print, tape, trace or cut through the paper, cut leather with a knife. SVG and DXF: load the file, press go.

• Accuracy. PDF: printed on the pieces at 1:1, you cut and punch by hand, so the result depends on your knife work. SVG and DXF: every part is drawn at true scale and the laser cuts it exactly, so matching pieces come out identical.

• Speed. A laser cuts a full bag in minutes. By hand, cutting and punching is often a third of the total build time.

• Repeatability. If you make the same item many times, the laser gives you identical pieces every time.

• Cost of entry. PDF: a printer and a knife. SVG and DXF: a laser cutter, which is the expensive part.

• Learning. Hand cutting teaches you the material. Most makers should do a few PDF builds before buying a laser.

Which should you buy?

Buy the PDF if you do not own a laser cutter, if you are a beginner, or if you want the widest choice of designs. Buy the SVG and DXF if you own a Glowforge or similar and want to cut in minutes, or if you make the same item repeatedly. If a design exists in both formats and you are prototyping, the PDF is the cheaper way to test the fit, then the laser file is for production.

The two formats also carry different licences, so read them. The PDF licence allows you to sell up to 10 finished items per pattern per year. The laser file licence protects the files from copying, editing, reselling or sharing and says they are not intended for mass production without consent from Dieselpunk.ro SRL, the company behind Tony See Patterns. Neither licence allows the files themselves to be redistributed.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a PDF leather pattern to SVG for my laser? Not a Tony See PDF. The files are protected against editing and the product pages state they are not laser compatible. Buy the SVG and DXF version instead, or ask whether one exists for that design.

Do SVG patterns come with instructions? Yes. Every laser pattern includes a step by step video tutorial and the cutting notes say to run a test cut at 100 percent scale first.

Are the laser files drawn to scale? Yes, every part is drawn at true scale and ready to cut. Open at 100 percent and do not let the software auto fit to the bed.

What is the difference between SVG and DXF? Same shapes, two file types. SVG for most modern laser software, DXF for CAD based or older software. Both are in every laser download.

Which format is better for a beginner? PDF. It costs nothing beyond a printer, the free patterns on leather-patterns.com are PDF, and the skills carry over if you buy a laser later.

Free PDF patterns to test your printer are on the free stuff page. Both formats are listed under all patterns.