# Import a cut-and-engrave design: a real software walkthrough > Follow the same floral keychain through LightBurn, xTool Studio, Cricut, Silhouette and Inkscape. See which imports preserve paths, which need tracing and where to check size. The example is a floral keychain: blue filled artwork to engrave and a red outline, with the hanging hole, to cut. It is opened here in LightBurn, xTool Studio, Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio and Inkscape. Each program shows the same file a little differently, and two things catch people out: which colour does what, and what size the design really is. A colour in the file does not set the operation by itself. Blue is not automatically engrave and red is not automatically cut. You assign the operation to each colour in your software, and you set speed and power for your own machine and material. ## What you need - [Download the floral keychain SVG](/learn/software/engraving-keychain-example.svg) to follow the vector examples. - LightBurn or xTool Studio for laser processing; Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio for their respective cutters; Inkscape for vector editing. - Silhouette Studio Basic Edition cannot open SVG. Use the PNG and trace it, or upgrade to Designer Edition to open the SVG directly. ## 1. Inspect the design before exporting In the Design Editor the keychain is two objects: the engraving artwork, and the outer cut path with its hole. Selected together they measure **46.9 × 59.9 mm**. Always resize both together, so the artwork stays inside the outline. ![MyLaserTools Design Editor with the floral keychain selected and separate Cut and Engrave entries in Layers](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-design-editor.webp) Both objects selected: 46.9 × 59.9 mm. The page size is a separate setting and does not change the design. ## 2. Compare object dimensions, not just page dimensions The SVG page is **50.9 × 63.9 mm** because it includes a small margin. The design itself is **46.9 × 59.9 mm**, and that is the size LightBurn and xTool show when you select everything. Select only the flowers and you get a smaller number again. When you compare sizes between programs, select the whole design and use the same units. In inches, 46.9 × 59.9 mm is about **1.85 × 2.36 in**. If a program imports the design at a different size, select everything, lock proportions and type the correct width. Never resize the artwork and the outline separately. ## Finished keychains and ornament examples ![Two finished floral keychains with contrasting dark and light artwork](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/floral-keychains-maker.webp) The floral design in two finishes, dark artwork on a light piece and light artwork on a dark one. On the finished pieces, look at the hanging hole, the border and the smallest petals. Those are the parts that go wrong first: a hole set to engrave never opens, and petals that are too thin burn away. ![Finished bee-shaped keychain with a hanging hole and contrasting wing detail](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/bee-keychain-maker.webp) A bee keychain shows how the same checks apply to another silhouette: keep the hanging hole open and review the finest wing detail. ![Finished round ornament with a hanging hole and a contrasting guitar illustration](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/guitar-ornament-maker.webp) A round guitar ornament shows a different layout with a separate border, illustration and hanging hole. ![Glitter snowflake ornament, patterned paw keychain, layered carrot name tag and a gold mirror script cake topper on a wood board](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/acrylic-gifts-maker.webp) A glitter ornament with a mirror script insert, a paw keychain in patterned acrylic, a layered carrot name tag and a gold mirror cake topper. Script like the topper has to be connected letter to letter, or loose pieces drop out of the sheet. ![Round rose gold mirror acrylic ornament with an engraved blossom tree](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraved-mirror-acrylic-ornament-maker.webp) Engraving on rose gold mirror acrylic. The engraved marks show pale against the mirror face, so the tree reads clearly even at ornament size. ![Four layered ornaments on a wood table: a book, a wedding ring, a house and a memorial circle](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/layered-ornaments-maker.webp) Four layered ornaments with engraved script on a light centre: a book, a wedding ring, a house and a memorial circle. Check the smallest script on a test piece first. ## LightBurn: separate Line cutting from Fill engraving LightBurn puts each colour on its own layer. Set the red layer (C02 here) to **Line** to cut, and the blue layer (C14) to **Fill** to engrave. The size reads 46.903 × 59.900 mm. LightBurn draws Fill layers as outlines on the canvas, so the flowers look like cut lines even when they will engrave. Open **Preview** to see what will really happen. ![Floral keychain in LightBurn with red C02 in Line mode and blue C14 in Fill mode](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-lightburn-import.webp) Red on Line, blue on Fill. Find speed and power with a test on your material. Continue with [the LightBurn import guide](/learn/guides/using-mylasertools-with-lightburn). For aligning printed artwork to a laser cut, follow the separate [Print and Cut workflow](/learn/guides/print-and-cut-lightburn). ## xTool Studio: check the selected size, then assign processing Select the whole import and check **W 46.9, H 59.9**. The red outline and the blue artwork come in as separate objects. Then assign the processing: select the red outline and set it to cut, select the blue artwork and set it to engrave, each with settings for your material. ![Floral keychain selected in xTool Studio with W 46.9 and H 59.9 visible](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-xtool-import.webp) The import keeps the red outline and the blue artwork apart, so each can get its own processing. Follow [the xTool Studio workflow](/learn/guides/xtool-studio-workflow) for operation assignments and device-specific positioning. ## Cricut Design Space: Basic Cut is not a laser Fill operation Design Space imports the SVG as **Basic Cut** shapes. Here it came in at **1.25 × 1.6 in**, smaller than the 1.85 × 2.36 in design. Always check the size after an upload: select everything, keep the lock closed and type the width you want before you make it. ![Floral SVG in Cricut Design Space with Basic Cut selected and a 1.25 by 1.6 inch selection](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-cricut-basic-cut.webp) Every path is set to Basic Cut, including the flowers. A Cricut cuts lines; it does not engrave filled areas like a laser. Decide what the cutter should do. To cut only the keychain shape, hide or delete the flower layer. To keep the flowers as printed artwork with the outline cut around them, use [Print Then Cut in Cricut Design Space](/learn/guides/cricut-design-space-print-cut). ## Silhouette Studio Basic Edition: import the PNG and trace it Basic Edition cannot open SVG, so this example uses the **PNG**. After tracing, the flowers became red cut outlines at **0.525 × 0.628 in**, and the outer keychain shape with its hanging hole is missing. Tracing a picture is not the same as opening the vector file: check and fix both the size and the shapes. ![Silhouette Studio showing the floral PNG example as red outlines, with Page Setup and CAMEO 5 visible](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-silhouette-import.webp) A traced PNG in Basic Edition, with the CAMEO 5 selected in Page Setup. Only the flower outlines were traced. In Basic Edition, use **Trace Outer Edge** when you only want the keychain shape, then resize it to the real width. Designer Edition or higher opens the SVG with every path as it was designed. For printed artwork with a cut line around it, use registration marks and follow [Print and Cut in Silhouette Studio](/learn/guides/silhouette-studio-print-cut). ## Inkscape: inspect the actual objects and units Open **Layers and Objects**: the file has separate **cut** and **engrave** groups, so you can hide, lock or edit one without touching the other. Inkscape shows sizes in **px** by default. Switch the unit menu in the toolbar to **mm** and select the whole design before you check or change the size. ![Inkscape Layers and Objects panel with separate cut and engrave groups and an engraving path selected](https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/software/engraving-keychain-inkscape-layers.webp) The cut and engrave groups in Layers and Objects, with one engraving path selected. The unit menu is still on px. Continue with [SVG editing in Inkscape and Illustrator](/learn/guides/prepare-svg-inkscape-illustrator) to preserve paths, units and outlined text during edits. ## Troubleshooting - **The size is different in another program:** select the whole design, not only the artwork, compare the design size rather than the page size, and use the same units. - **Every flower detail cuts:** the artwork layer is set to cut. Set it to engrave (Fill in LightBurn), or hide it on a cutter that cannot engrave. - **No outer shape or hanging hole:** you traced the PNG. Open the SVG if your software can, or trace the outer edge only. ## Software documentation - [LightBurn layer modes](https://docs.lightburnsoftware.com/latest/Reference/CutsLayersWindow/) - [xTool vector import](https://support.xtool.com/article/2520) - [Silhouette file types by edition](https://silhouetteamerica.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/35000282776-file-types-and-features) - [Cricut image upload limitations](https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009553213-Image-uploads-unsupported-items) - [Inkscape manual](https://inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) ## Make it yours Do the same with your own design: note the full design size in MyLaserTools before you export, and check it again right after the import. --- Open Design Editor: https://www.mylasertools.com/design-editor Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/cut-and-engrave-software-import