Closed paths for CNC routing
Every cut path is closed. No floating nodes, no open contours, no micro-jitters that hang up your router.
For signage fabricators
Files that route, cut, and assemble cleanly.
We rebuild raster artwork as fabrication-ready vector files for channel letters, dimensional signs, monument signs, and ADA-compliant interior signage. Closed paths for CNC, layered for fabrication, sized for installation.
Signage fabricators use VectorWiz to convert customer-supplied artwork into CNC-ready and fabrication-ready vector files for channel letters, dimensional letters, monument signs, and ADA-compliant interior signage. We deliver DXF for routing tables, EPS and AI layered by fabrication step, and PDF for customer sign-off. Files import cleanly into AlphaCAM, EnRoute, ArtCAM, Roland CutStudio, and most CNC routing software.
Why production shops standardize on VectorWiz
Layered by fabrication step
Cut paths, returns, faces, and laminated layers come on separate Illustrator layers — drop into AlphaCAM or EnRoute and your tool paths are pre-grouped.
Channel letter outlines
Letter forms designed for channel-letter fabrication: outlined returns, structured face apertures, kerf-aware spacing for a clean weld.
ADA spec-compliant when asked
ADA interior signage built to the federal accessibility specs — ⅛″ raised glyphs minimum, Grade 2 Braille translation, character spacing per the 2010 ADA Standards.
Sized 1:1 for fabrication
Resolution sized 1:1 for the finished sign — scale, kerning, and proportion locked at output size. No surprises when you scale the file in your CNC software.
Same-day on standard jobs
Most simple-and-medium signage conversions come back within 8 business hours. Multi-letter monument signs run 24–48 hours.
How a job moves through VectorWiz
Upload art + fab spec
Upload customer artwork. Tell us the fabrication type (channel letters, flat-cut letters, monument sign, ADA interior), the substrate (acrylic, aluminum, HDU, photopolymer), and the finished sign size.
Instant complexity-based price
Our classifier grades complexity and shows the instant price. Single-line dimensional letter sets land at Simple or Medium. Channel letters with custom fonts move to Medium or High. Monument signs and ADA jobs are typically High or Complex.
Manual rebuild + fab-ready prep
Designer rebuilds vector by hand and structures it for fabrication: closed cut paths, layered returns, kerf-aware spacing, ADA spec compliance where applicable. QC pass before delivery.
Fab-ready delivery
DXF, AI, EPS, PDF in one zip. Layered for CNC routing, sized 1:1, with fabrication notes. Ready for your router or CNC table.
What every signage deliverable contains
Signage fabrication has more downstream steps than vinyl: CNC routing, return forming, face lamination, sometimes UL-listed lighting integration. Every deliverable contains the same artwork in the formats every fabrication workflow needs.
| Format | Best for | What we ship |
|---|---|---|
| DXF | CNC routing tables, plasma cutters, waterjets | Closed-path 2D DXF (R12 or AutoCAD 2000) sized 1:1, layers per cut depth or material. |
| AI (Adobe Illustrator) | Editing source | Layered file with named layers per fabrication step, fonts outlined. |
| EPS | Older fabrication software | Flattened-color EPS with closed paths. |
| Customer proofing, internal sign-off | PDF/X-4 with bleed and color profile. |
Channel letter file prep — the details that matter
Channel letters fail at the seam, the return, and the kerf. We build the file to make every one of those right the first time.
- Letter forms drawn at the actual fabrication outline — not the visual outline. Returns, faces, and trim caps come as separate layers.
- Kerf compensation built in for laser/router cut returns (typically 0.040″ for aluminum return).
- Internal apertures (the holes for LED modules) sized and positioned per the lighting spec.
- Letter spacing tuned for the install — kerning that reads right at viewing distance, not Adobe-default kerning.
ADA-compliant interior signage
The 2010 ADA Standards have specific requirements that most artwork doesn't meet. We build to spec when you flag the job as ADA, including:
- Raised characters
- Minimum 5⁄8″ tall, ⅛″ minimum stroke, ⅛″ raised from the background. We build the raised layer as a separate cut path.
- Sans-serif typeface
- ADA requires sans-serif at 1:1 character proportions. We default to FF Tisa Sans or a near-equivalent, swappable per customer brand spec.
- Grade 2 Braille
- Translated from the visual text, dot height 0.025″–0.037″, dot diameter 0.059″–0.063″. We build Braille as a separate layer with proper dot dimensions.
- Spacing
- Character spacing, line spacing, and Braille separation per ADA Sections 703.5.7 and 703.3.2.
Our DXF conventions
| Convention | Notes |
|---|---|
| DXF version | AutoCAD 2000 (the most universally compatible). R12 available on request. |
| Path direction | Outer paths CCW, inner paths CW (the standard CAD convention). |
| Layer naming | By fabrication step: `01-cut-through`, `02-engrave`, `03-score`, etc. |
| Units | Inches by default, millimeters on request. |
| Origin | Lower-left at (0, 0), all artwork in positive coordinate space. |
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to what production buyers ask before placing their first order. Question missing? Ask us.
What CNC software do your DXF files import into?
AlphaCAM, EnRoute, ArtCAM, Roland CutStudio, MultiCAM software, ShopBot Control, AKAD, MasterCAM, Vectric VCarve and Aspire. We use the AutoCAD 2000 DXF dialect, which all of these accept. R12 available on request.
Do you build channel letter files including the returns?
Yes — channel letter deliverables include the face cut path and the return cut path as separate layers. Kerf compensation is applied per material (typically 0.040" for aluminum return). LED module apertures are sized and positioned per your lighting spec.
Can you build files for ADA-compliant interior signage?
Yes. We build to the 2010 ADA Standards: 5⁄8" minimum character height, ⅛" raised characters, sans-serif type, Grade 2 Braille translated and built to spec dimensions, character/line spacing per ADA. Tell us when you submit so we can flag the job.
How do you handle materials I haven't told you about?
We ship file-format-agnostic — the cut path is the same whether you fabricate from acrylic, aluminum, HDU, or photopolymer. Material-specific notes (kerf compensation, draft angle for thermoformed letters) are added when you flag the substrate.
Do you account for laminated face plates on dimensional letters?
Yes — laminated face plates come as a separate layer with bleed sized to your face-laminate workflow. We default to 0.125" bleed; specify tighter if your laminate process needs it.
Can you redraw the artwork before converting it?
If the source is too low-res or too poorly drawn for fabrication, a vector rebuild is priced as a separate Simple/Medium tier line item. Most jobs don't need this — we can usually rebuild from any reasonable source.
How fast can you turn around a fabrication conversion?
Standard channel letter and flat-cut letter sets ship within 8 business hours of checkout. Monument signs and ADA whole-building packages run 24–48 hours.
Do you ship the proof file separately from the production file?
Yes — the deliverable zip includes a flattened PDF proof for customer sign-off, plus the production DXF/AI/EPS for the fabrication floor. The proof is signed off; the production file goes to the router.
Order now
Upload your file. Get an instant estimate. Order in minutes.
Drop an image, see the complexity-based price automatically, and check out — subscribers debit credits, everyone else pays per job.
Need something custom? Email hello@vectorwiz.com
Specialised for the way your shop runs
Production buyers don't need a generic vector — they need files that drop straight into the next step in the workflow.
Sign shops
Vinyl-plotter-ready vector files. Production-correct paths, not auto-traced sketch files.
Embroidery digitizers
Stitch-friendly vectors prepped for digitizing. Clean joins, no spurious nodes.
Screen printers
Spot-color separations, halftones, Pantone-accurate vector art for screens.
Laser / CNC / DXF
Closed-path DXF and AI files for laser, plasma, water-jet, and CNC cutters.
Vinyl cutters
Single-stroke and cut-ready vectors for vinyl plotters and decal production.
Engravers
Single-line and outline-only vectors for rotary, fiber, and CO₂ engravers.
Related reading
Also in this topic
- DXF / laser / CNC vector conversion
Signage fabricators running general CNC routing should pair this page with our DXF conversion service for the upstream file prep.
- Vinyl sign shop conversion
If you're also running a full-service sign shop with vinyl and large-format printing, our sign-shop page covers that side of the workflow.
- Complexity rubric
Most signage jobs are Medium or High; ADA whole-building packages are Multi-file. The rubric explains the time math.
Reviewed by VectorWiz Production Team · last updated May 10, 2026