What happens when you convert AI to EMF
- The AI is first turned into a PDF by Ghostscript, the PostScript interpreter, and Inkscape, the open-source vector editor, opens that on our conversion server and saved as an Enhanced Metafile, the vector format Word, PowerPoint and other Windows programs paste and place.
- Shapes, lines, fills and colours stay vectors, so the result scales to any size. Embedded pictures are carried over as pictures.
- EMF has limited support for transparency and gradients, so effects such as soft shadows may be simplified.
- Only AI files that include PDF content can be read, which is the default in Illustrator.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert AI to EMF online
- Press "Choose AI files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to EMF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each EMF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your AI and the EMF by then.
Why convert AI to EMF?
AI files usually come from logos, illustrations and print artwork made in Illustrator. People convert them to EMF because EMF places sharply in Word, PowerPoint and other Windows programs and stays crisp when resized.
In short, AI is good at what it was made for, and EMF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. AI does not open in browsers; Illustrator opens it, and Inkscape, Affinity Designer and CorelDRAW import most AI files, while EMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it.
How to convert AI to EMF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your AI files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each EMF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the AI files from Finder onto the drop zone and the EMF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose AI files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted EMF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose AI files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The EMF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for AI to EMF
There are no settings: the first page is converted at its own size, with every shape kept as a vector.
To use the EMF in Word or PowerPoint, choose Insert, Pictures and pick the file; it stays sharp when resized.
AI vs EMF: the differences
| AI | EMF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adobe Illustrator artwork | Enhanced Metafile |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Adobe | Microsoft |
| First released | 1987 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Vector |
| Colour | vector artwork in CMYK or RGB, which can also hold raster images | Windows drawing commands, which can also hold bitmaps |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Illustrator opens it, and Inkscape, Affinity Designer and CorelDRAW import most AI files | does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it |
| Common uses | logos, illustrations and print artwork made in Illustrator | charts and clip art copied between Windows programs, and vector pictures in Office documents |
| MIME type | application/postscript | image/emf |
About AI and EMF files
What is an AI file?
Since Illustrator 9 an AI file is a PDF with Illustrator's own editing data added, which is why other programs can open it at all. A file saved with "Create PDF Compatible File" turned off has no PDF part, and only Illustrator can read it.
What is an EMF file?
An EMF is a recording of the drawing commands a Windows program sends to the screen, played back to redraw the picture at any size. It replaced WMF with 32-bit Windows, and Office still uses it when charts and diagrams are copied between programs.
AI to EMF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The AI will not convert. It may be damaged, or try to do something the converter blocks for safety, such as reading other files.
Convert AI to EMF from the command line
Inkscape does the same on your own computer:
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dEPSCrop -sOutputFile=art.pdf input.ai
inkscape art.pdf --pdf-page=1 --export-type=emf --export-filename=output.emfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
AI to EMF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting AI to EMF?
Shapes and colours stay vectors, so nothing is lost to pixels. Each vector format supports a slightly different set of effects, so gradients, transparency and filters may be simplified.
Why is the EMF a different size from the AI?
Both store drawing instructions, so the EMF is usually of a similar size to the AI; embedded pictures make the biggest difference.
Are my AI files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful AI to EMF conversion needs Ghostscript and Inkscape, two open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the EMF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several AI files to EMF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an EMF file?
EMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it. EMF is common for charts and clip art copied between Windows programs, and vector pictures in Office documents.
Is this AI to EMF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert AI to EMF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the EMF is saved to your Downloads folder.