Text to SVG: name cut files with real fonts, free

An SVG whose letters are outlines (filled paths), not live text, so it opens the same on a computer that does not have the font. It is made at exactly the width or height you give, in inches or millimetres (0.25 to 48 in, 6 to 1200 mm). Every separate piece is its own path, and a letter's holes (the inside of an o) belong to it. A DXF (R12 polylines on one layer, curves cut into straight pieces no more than 0.02 mm off the curve) and a transparent 300 dpi PNG are there too. The page runs the same check as the SVG checker on the file and shows what it finds.

In a joined-up font such as Pacifico the letters overlap where they connect. A cutter would cut each overlapping outline, leaving little cuts inside the join. Welding merges the overlapping outlines into one outline, so the joined letters cut as one piece. A script font only comes out as one piece if its letters really touch: the dot of an i, accents and a gap between words stay separate pieces, and the page counts the pieces. The page also counts pieces under 2 mm across, which are hard to weed and easy to lose. Welding can be switched off to keep every letter as the font draws it.

Iron-on (heat transfer) vinyl is cut from the back, so the design has to be cut reversed. Mirror flips the name left to right. Leave it off for adhesive vinyl, paper and wood.

Every one of the 8 fonts draws A to Z, a to z, digits, the usual punctuation and the accented letters of the Latin-1 block (é, ñ, ü, ç, ø and the rest of À to ÿ). Characters beyond that, such as Polish, Czech, Turkish, Greek or Cyrillic letters, symbols and emoji, are drawn only where the font has them. Where it does not, the character is left out of the drawing and the page names it under the preview, so you can pick another font. Nothing is swapped for a different character, except that a missing capital or small letter is drawn as the other case, and the page says so. Names are limited to 40 characters. Bungee has capitals only, so its lower case letters come out as capitals.

The SVG states its real size and its pieces are plain filled paths, which is what those programs read. The DXF suits laser and CNC software. Cut a small test first: a very thin script stroke can tear when weeded, and the page cannot tell you how your material behaves.

Yes. Letters are spaced with the font's own pair kerning where it has some (Patrick Hand has none), and the font's ligatures and letter variants that a browser applies by default are applied too (Pacifico's joined forms, Patrick Hand's double l and fi, for example), so a name looks as the font draws it in a browser. Optional stylistic sets and small capitals are not applied. Kerning and ligatures can each be switched off, and letter spacing is yours to change.

No. The font is downloaded to your browser, and the name is typed, drawn and saved on your own device. The site counts that a page was used and that a file was saved (as a file type), never the name, and it has no way to read what you typed.

The fonts are under the SIL Open Font License, which allows using them in your own work, including things you sell, and does not allow selling the font files by themselves. The licence text for each font is linked at the bottom of the page. This is the licence as written, not legal advice; read it if your plans are unusual.

One name at a time, with every font and option, is free. With Pro you can paste a list, one name to a line, up to 50 names, and get one ZIP with the SVG, the DXF or the PNG (your choice) for each and a short report (names-report.txt) that lists every name, the settings used and any character the font could not draw. Every name uses the font and settings on the page. A name past the 50th is listed in the report, not dropped quietly.

It does not make several lines of text, curved or arched text, or shapes round the name. It does not join the pieces to a backing or add a hanger. It does not use a font you upload. It is not an offset or a "thicken" tool, so a thin stroke stays as thin as the font draws it.