Questions, answered.

VectorForge turns any image into laser-ready files — clean vectors, tonal power layers, 3D relief heightmaps, challenge coins, and dithered photo-engraves — then exports them as native LightBurn (.lbrn2), xTool (.xs), SVG, and DXF at the exact real-world size. It runs in your browser; you don’t need Illustrator, Photoshop, or any install.

No — you can convert and download for free without signing in. An account is only needed to save designs to your cloud library (a Pro feature) and to use AI features.

High-contrast art with a clear subject works best: logos, silhouettes, line art, and well-lit photos. You can drop a file, paste from the clipboard, or upload an SVG. PNG, JPG, and SVG are supported.

Yes — diode, CO2, and fiber. Pick your machine in the app so the exported file is oriented and set up the way that machine burns.

Tracing, layer separation, dithering, depth relief, and background removal all run entirely in your browser — those images never leave your computer. Only AI features (AI cleanup and image-from-text) send that one image or prompt to our AI provider, and saving a design uploads only the finished output to your library.

Converts your image to clean one-color line art with potrace. Use Manual threshold for evenly-lit art and logos, or Adaptive for photos and uneven lighting. Despeckle removes tiny specks. Best for single-power engraving or cutting a silhouette.

Separates the image into stacked color layers (2–12) using k-means, traced lightest-first. Each color becomes its own layer in LightBurn/xTool so you can assign a setting per color.

The real “laser depth layers.” It splits the image into tonal bands — darker = deeper — and exports each band as its own color-coded layer with a suggested power. Set a different power per layer in your laser software and the stack engraves as a stepped relief. Bands are exclusive, so every spot burns once.

An AI depth model runs in your browser (free) and turns a photo or logo into a grayscale heightmap: white = highest, for true 3D relief engraving. Turn on “Challenge coin” to frame it as a round coin with a raised rim, adjustable diameter, and curved top/bottom text. Toggle “Remove background (AI)” to isolate the subject. Export a grayscale PNG your laser reads as height.

Turns a photo into dots for laser photo-engraving, with seven algorithms (Floyd–Steinberg, Jarvis, Stucki, Atkinson, Burkes, Sierra, Bayer). Scale sets dot size; contrast/brightness/threshold tune it. PNG is recommended; SVG is experimental.

For messy photos the local trace can’t handle, AI redraws your exact image into clean, traceable art (B/W or a few flat colors), preserving the composition. You can also generate an image from a text prompt. This is the only part that uses credits.

Native LightBurn (.lbrn2) and xTool (.xs) projects, plus universal SVG and DXF. Depth/relief and dither export as PNG.

Yes. Power Layers and Color modes export color-coded layers that LightBurn and xTool Creative Space import as separate operations, so you can set power/speed per layer.

Turn on “Set output size” and enter the longest side in mm or inches. The .lbrn2, .xs, DXF, and SVG all import at that exact size — no rescaling on the bed.

By default, filled artwork engraves and outlines/frames become a cut layer automatically. You can also force everything to engrave or everything to cut with the Operation selector.

Turn on Mirror to flip the design horizontally for back-side engraving.

No — the per-layer power values are rough, tone-based starting points. Always test on scrap and use verified settings for your material and machine (the Laser Settings App has verified profiles).

Everything in the converter is free with unlimited downloads — B/W, Color, Power Layers, Depth/coins, Dither, background removal, cut/engrave, mirror, sizing, and all exports. Credits are used only for AI features: AI cleanup and AI image-from-text.

Generating on a new image costs 1 credit. Not happy? Regenerating the same image — new style, dials, or a tweak — costs just 0.2 credit each, so you can iterate cheaply and only pay full price once per image. Switching to a different image is a fresh 1-credit generation.

Yes — every account gets 3 free AI previews (watermarked). Add credits to remove the watermark and get clean, vector-ready output.

Pro is $9/month or $79/year and adds: a commercial license to sell your work, your cloud library (My Designs — save and re-edit projects), 40 AI credits every month, and priority support. Pro is also included in FoundryPass.

Yes. Credit packs are one-time and never expire while your account is active: 20 credits for $8, 50 for $18, or 120 for $36. That’s roughly 30–40¢ per AI image.

Most tools charge a subscription for the layer separation and vectorizing that VectorForge gives away free. You only ever pay here for optional AI, and our credits are cheaper per image than the common alternatives.

FoundryPass is one pass that unlocks VectorForge Pro plus the other Maker Foundry apps, with a monthly credit allotment. If you use more than one Maker Foundry tool, it’s the best value.

A Pro feature that saves your finished designs to your account so you can re-open and re-edit them from any device, shown as a gallery under “My Designs.” Free users get unlimited downloads instead of cloud saves.

Yes — open My Designs and click Edit on any card to load it back into the app with its settings.

From your Account page you can open the billing portal to update payment, change, or cancel your plan. Access ends at the close of the paid period.

Pro’s monthly credits refresh each month. Purchased credit packs stay on your balance and don’t expire while your account is active.

Depth detail comes from your image, not the AI model. Turn “Image detail” up (try 1.5–2), lower “3D form,” and add a little Sharpen. Use “Flatten background” or “Remove background” to isolate the subject.

That’s fixed — transparent areas are now treated as background (dropped), not black. Re-run the conversion.

Turn on “Set output size” and enter the longest side in mm/inches before exporting.

Update — layers now export with proper colors so XCS separates them. Re-export the .xs.

The first run downloads the model to your browser (about 24–50 MB) and caches it; after that it’s fast.