For the purpose of this Tutorial, we will talk about flat sheets of plywood or acrylic. All you need to start laser cutting is a vector file.

What is a Vector File?

A vector file is a type of image file that uses calculated line positions rather than pixels. This means that vector images are completely scalable without any loss in quality. Have you ever zoomed in on a photo or something drawn in paint and seen how it goes blurry? In a vector file, this doesn’t happen.

Is it a vector file type?

AI, EPS, SVG, DXF, DWG, PDF are all file types that can contain vectors. This doesn’t mean that everything in them is a vector object though.
Can you move objects in the file? Have a line that you’re not sure is a vector. Select it and see if you can move or reshape it in the document. Vector objects are calculated between nodes. This allows you to drag and reshape objects after they have been placed.