Single Line Fonts in Inkscape: Import, Edit, and Export
Inkscape is the most popular free vector editor and a key part of many plotter and laser workflows. This guide covers the complete Pathhaus-to-Inkscape pipeline.
Importing Pathhaus SVG into Inkscape
File → Import (not Open — Import preserves dimensions). Choose your Pathhaus SVG. In the import dialog, select "Include SVG image as editable paths". Inkscape will display your paths with the original stroke properties. Check that dimensions are correct: Object → Object Properties → Geometry. If the size is wrong, the issue is likely SVG DPI interpretation — Inkscape 1.x uses 96 DPI, older versions use 90 DPI. Use DXF export from Pathhaus to avoid this issue entirely.
Editing paths in Inkscape
Select the Node tool (N key) to see and edit individual nodes on your paths. You can delete unnecessary nodes, drag to reshape, or use the node reduction tools (Path → Simplify) for additional simplification on top of what Pathhaus applied. For AxiDraw users: after editing, verify your paths are still open (no Z command) by checking Path → Object to Path and inspecting the XML editor (Ctrl+Shift+X).
Setting up layers for AxiDraw
The AxiDraw Inkscape extension uses layer names to determine pen speed and which paths to plot. Create layers named "pen 1" or "inkscape-plotter-layer" depending on your extension version. Move your Pathhaus paths to the correct layer. The AxiDraw extension will then process only the paths on AxiDraw-designated layers, ignoring guides, backgrounds, and other elements.
Exporting for laser software
To export from Inkscape for LightBurn: File → Save As → Plain SVG (not Inkscape SVG, which includes Inkscape-specific namespace extensions that can confuse LightBurn). For DXF: File → Save As → DXF. Note that Inkscape's DXF export has historically had issues with bezier curve accuracy. For best dimensional accuracy in DXF, export directly from Pathhaus Studio.
Try it in Pathhaus Studio
Free to start — optimize and export your first font file in under 5 minutes.