# STEP or DXF: how to prepare your sheet metal part Quelle: > Which file suits your part? A short guide from export to price check. Files Which file suits your part? A short guide from export to price check. MVG editorial team · Values from our production and the material standards Published on 10 September 2026 · 1 min read ## Choose the right file A DXF file describes flat contours. For the upload, you also state the sheet thickness. A STEP file describes the three-dimensional geometry; it is also suitable for a fully modelled bent part. In the MVG upload you can select .step, .stp and .dxf, as well as vector graphics from Illustrator (.ai) and .eps: we convert these into a DXF contour in millimetres, and you check the width and height before the calculation. ## Keep the part unambiguous Before exporting, check that you have really selected the desired part geometry. Construction lines, dimensions or texts should not accidentally become part of a cutting contour. If possible, open the exported file again and compare the shape and dimensions with your original. ## File first, material second In the upload, you first choose your file. Then you set the material and quantity; for DXF also the thickness. For several files, the details selected there apply to all of them. If the parts need different materials or quantities, calculate them in separate runs. ## Check the result carefully Before adding to the basket, compare the detected blank, the thickness, quantity and price. Note all manufacturing notes shown. The absence of a message does not confirm every design property: not all features can be checked automatically from a file. If the calculation is not possible, the upload offers a manual check request. ## At a glance - Correct part and suitable file extension exported - Dimensions and thickness checked - Material and quantity assigned - Price and manufacturing notes read [Price CAD file →](https://mvg-frankfurt.de/en/upload) ## Matching products [Upload **Calculate a STEP file** Upload a file, price in seconds. *Upload a file →*](https://mvg-frankfurt.de/en/upload) ## Questions about your part? Our sales team advises you on material, manufacturing and delivery time. [Call: (069) 94 21 30 - 0](tel:+496994213000) · [Email info@mvg-frankfurt.de](mailto:info@mvg-frankfurt.de?subject=Question%20about%3A%20STEP%20or%20DXF%3A%20how%20to%20prepare%20your%20sheet%20metal%20part) ## Related articles - [Design & manufacturing Upload a CAD file, get a price in seconds: no more waiting three days Drawing by email, three days waiting for the quotation, chasing it up: this is still how many people buy sheet metal parts. Why we have done away with it, and what the route from file to part looks like today. 2 min read Read the article →](https://mvg-frankfurt.de/en/magazine/cad-file-instant-price) - [Design & manufacturing Design furniture with Claude Code and have it made in our digital factory With AI, an idea becomes a finished construction plan with a bill of materials. We make the sheet metal parts for it from a single piece, with an instant price. 3 min read Read the article →](https://mvg-frankfurt.de/en/magazine/furniture-with-claude-code) - [Design & manufacturing Getting laser parts fast: what determines the delivery time Which delivery time levels there are, why bends and threads count, when the order cut-off applies and which parts qualify for Express 24 h. 4 min read Read the article →](https://mvg-frankfurt.de/en/magazine/getting-laser-parts-fast)