export svg / wrong size

[OliverR]

Hello! I need svg files for my laser cutter. After export to svg (I have all settings tested) the size isn't the size I have made it. The same document I have open and export in Adobe Illustrator - it works - the size is right. What can I do? I doesn't work more with adobe.

[walt.farrell]

What size did you make it, and what size did you get?

[OliverR]

I export a object who is 100 x 100 millimeters. After open it is 477,8 x 416,7 millimeters.

[walt.farrell]

Thanks. And what is the DPI of your document? (Sorry; should have asked that, too.)

[txrpls]

I am having a similar issue with my CNC plasma cutter.. I created a 22x22 inch artboad at 300 dpi and then created text on a path, converted to curves and exported as a SVG. When I bring it into my CAM program it is way too big. 

[carl123]

10 hours ago, OliverR said:

I export a object who is 100 x 100 millimeters. After open it is 477,8 x 416,7 millimeters.

300(DPI) / 72(DPI) = 4.167 which accounts for your second figure (416.7mm)

But not sure where the 477.8mm is coming from

[firstdefence]

Don't you have to uncheck the viewbox option under the More... settings when exporting to get actual size? I think it's because the viewbox is set to 100% worth a try though. 

[DWright]

As @firstdefence mentioned turn off the viewbox option and set the export DPI to 72 as this will not affect the quality as it is a vector image.

[txrpls]

I have tried many of the setting and export to SVG and I am getting either too big or too small. I set up a 22" x 22" document which matches my metal size. My CNC software is set up for inches and designer is setup for inches. If I knew what native units affinity works in, I could calculate a scale factor. 

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, txrpls said:

I have tried many of the setting and export to SVG and I am getting either too big or too small. I set up a 22" x 22" document which matches my metal size. My CNC software is set up for inches and designer is setup for inches. If I knew what native units affinity works in, I could calculate a scale factor. 

If you set your document DPI to 72 and turn off the viewbox option on export it should work.

If it doesn't, can you provide a sample .afdesign document that doesn't work so we can check it?

[yann2]

Hi,

Here is a sample file with a circle radius 50mm and a square 20mm per side. Export svg at 72 dpi, viewbox option turned off.

Then file is open Rhino 3D, circle is radius 141.733mm and square side is 56.693mm.

The other way round is fine, from Rhino 3D to Affinity designer the scale is kept.

Any idea?

Thanks

Sans titre.afdesign

[Beard and Geared]

I'm also having this issue. If I have something of a certain width in mm or inches in Designer, it imports in other programs at a different size.  This is a huge issue when I'm trying to get accurate cuts on a laser.  To get close, I'm just doing what one of the people above alluded to.  E.g., I have a design that's 20 inches wide.  Everything else (Inkscape, Lighburn) imports it as 15 inches wide. 15/20 = 0.75.  72dpi/0.75 = 96dpi.  So when I export from Designer I have to change it from 72 to 96 dpi.  This seemed to get me close to the right number (it's a couple decimal places off still when I import). 

[Jowday]

On 3/12/2020 at 8:15 PM, OliverR said:

Hello! I need svg files for my laser cutter. After export to svg (I have all settings tested) the size isn't the size I have made it. The same document I have open and export in Adobe Illustrator - it works - the size is right. What can I do? I doesn't work more with adobe.

Made a quick test:

Made drawing (web sized document in Designer: 800 x 600 pixels @400 DPI)

• Exported it and got this mismatching SVG code:
  <svg width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 600 450" 
• Exported it after adjusting MORE: DPI (that was configured to 300 DPI) to 400 DPI and got correct SVG code:
  <svg width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 800 600"

Or illustrated with pictures:

Export - make sure document DPI is the same as in export DPI:

 

 

 

[Ken__]

I also am having this craziness happening when exporting to SVG. In my case, the export of a particular important file is shrinking everything by 25%. I have tried setting the export DPI to 72, 96, and 300, with the view box option turned off, and every time the objects in the exported SVG are shrunk by 25%. Example: a rectangle that is 8 inches in Designer is 6 inches after SVG export. This is pretty weird. 

I don't mean to suggest a fix — that's up to your wisdom — but something very randomly buggy is going on, given how the errors are all over the place in this discussion. 

[flossqueen]

I'm having a similar problem to this with the iPad version, even on 1.9. My preset for the document is the size of my laser bed, dpi is 96 as that is what both my Glowforge interface expects as well as Lightburn. When I create a 2” square and export using Document Properties when I open in Lightburn it’s always way bigger. If I export and manually set the dpi to 96 it appears to work, at least for Lightburn. So it’s ignoring the document dpi when exporting. No matter how I set dpi it will not come 8nto the iOS version of Adobe Illustrator at the correct size. Even turning off preview doesn’t help there.

How do I set the default dpi to 96 on the iPad version from 300 to 96? IT would make life simpler if it don’t have to change it every single export.

[Zachary Parker]

Hey guys, i am trying to export a simple black and white logo from the app to my ipad as an svg. Every time i export it either blacks out the image or totally changes the text or warps the image. If i save it as a PNG its fine but as an SVG everything gets messed up

 

[nitro912gr]

On 1/27/2021 at 10:47 AM, BofG said:

Designer makes terrible SVG files. Take for example the most simple file possible:

Default SVG "for export" gives:

As you can see highlighted the width and height of the square are different!! It's using a matrix transform to alter the relative scale of the width/height so that those different values result in the same height and width. Positioning is done through this transform also rather than the rect having an x/y.

Thankfully, there is an option to 'flatten transforms' which gives much more sensible code. Combine this with not including the viewbox, and exporting to 96dpi* should give the correct results:

The document:

SVG export settings:

The SVG in InkScape:

If you are getting the wrong size out, all you need to change is the dpi in the export box - as per the SVG spec it's up to the reading program to determine the scale (when the units are not specified, which is the case with the exports from Affinity), some make different assumptions about this.

holycrap that worked... thank you. Affinity should have this default by now.. I'm tired that every time I want to engrave/cut something I have to open in inkscape (that is a hellscape to use) and change the dimensions there and re-save the file.

[v_kyr]

The manual way of editing SVG code, in order to remove a SVG transform matrix, is very well described here ...

• Removing transform translate from an svg code

[nitro912gr]

false happiness. the GRBL program still dont like those SVG, although inkscape open them ok and then with a simple copy paste to a new file and resave it works... weird.

[InfiniteNumber]

Four years later and this is still a problem in Affinity Designer 2. I almost bought a copy for a friend who doesn't have Adobe Illustrator, and thankfully before I did, I discovered this bug which makes Affinity no-go for her. We shouldn't have to be editing SVG code and googling esoteric settings to get a vector export to work as intended (the export dialog is capable of providing export tips or information like other programs do). I've only searched through the forums a few times, and there seems to be issues that persist for long periods, so, definitely holding off getting myself a copy as well... (still using the last standalone version of Illustrator CS6 bought during my undergrad). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[daBernd]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:51 AM, InfiniteNumber said:

Four years later and this is still a problem in Affinity Designer 2. I almost bought a copy for a friend who doesn't have Adobe Illustrator, and thankfully before I did, I discovered this bug which makes Affinity no-go for her. We shouldn't have to be editing SVG code and googling esoteric settings to get a vector export to work as intended (the export dialog is capable of providing export tips or information like other programs do). I've only searched through the forums a few times, and there seems to be issues that persist for long periods, so, definitely holding off getting myself a copy as well... (still using the last standalone version of Illustrator CS6 bought during my undergrad). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is still not working. Document size in Affinity Designer is 415mm x 200mm.
Size in LaserGRBL is 307 x 148 ...
I set the Document to 72DPI.
It is worse when you try to work with an ArtWork ... this is even more weird!
4 years - no progress - even InkScape is capable of doing it right.

[Hangman]

Hi @daBernd and welcome to the forums,

Try changing your Affinity Designer document to 96 dpi making sure your artwork is still sized at 415 mm x 200 mm. Note that your canvas is larger than your artwork so you may want to make your canvas the same size as the artwork or select all layers in the layers panel and choose Nur Auswahl (Selection Only) from the Area dropdown in the SVG export window.

In the SVG Export, Advanced Settings select DPI verwenden instead of Dokumentauflösung verwenden and manually enter 96 for the dpi value then re-export your file and see whether or not it comes into LaserGRBL at the correct size...

Either way, let us know...

[netty.theframfour]

I have seen the above ‘solution’ posted several times to the forum and never anyone saying it has worked for them. It certainly doesn’t for me with my Cricut.

There is a clear four year long problem with SVG export size using affinity designer which sadly makes it an unviable alternative to Adobe for those of us who create designs for cutting machines. This is really disappointing as many use cutting machines for business, an expanding market, and do not want to use an inconvenient ‘work around’

Come on affinity, many of us have switched from Adobe not expecting such a basic issue which has been going on for an unacceptable period of time.

I wish I had discovered this problem earlier, yes I have joined the forums to air my grievance, I am really upset and disappointed that I have spent my money and hours of time on an unresolved issue.

[Hangman]

Hi @netty.theframfour and welcome to the forums,

For your Cricut Machine, try the following...

Set your document to 72 dpi.

When you export your SVG file uncheck Set Viewbox at the bottom of the Advanced section in the export window, ensure the export resolution is 72 dpi or set Use Document Resolution and you should find your SVG file comes into Cricut Design Space at the correct size...

Note: Depending on how you've set your document up you may need to select all layers in the Layers panel and set Area to Selection Only in the export window...

Let us know if that works...

[netty.theframfour]

Thank you Hangman, 

I feel pretty silly about my rant now as I managed to find a solution immediately after posting and came back here to update:

However, finding a solution for this shouldn't be that difficult.

It wasn't until I created a document from fresh with a DPI of 72 (rather than changing the DPI of the document I was working on) that the sizing came out correctly on Cricut design space 🙂