What happens when you convert AI to WMF
- 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 a Windows Metafile, the older vector format that Office and many Windows programs still read.
- Shapes, lines, fills and colours stay vectors, so the result scales to any size. Embedded pictures are carried over as pictures.
- WMF has no transparency and only 16-bit coordinates, so soft shadows and very fine detail 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 WMF 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 WMF". 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 WMF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your AI and the WMF by then.
Why convert AI to WMF?
AI files usually come from logos, illustrations and print artwork made in Illustrator. People convert them to WMF because WMF is the vector picture format older Office versions and Windows programs read.
In short, AI is good at what it was made for, and WMF 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 WMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it.
How to convert AI to WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for AI to WMF
There are no settings: the first page is converted at its own size, with every shape kept as a vector.
To use the WMF in Word or PowerPoint, choose Insert, Pictures and pick the file; it stays sharp when resized.
AI vs WMF: the differences
| AI | WMF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adobe Illustrator artwork | Windows Metafile |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Adobe | Microsoft |
| First released | 1987 | 1990 |
| 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 with 16-bit coordinates, 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 | clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files |
| MIME type | application/postscript | image/wmf |
About AI and WMF 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 a WMF file?
WMF is the 16-bit ancestor of EMF, from the days of Windows 3.0: a list of drawing commands rather than pixels. The clip art collections of the 1990s shipped as WMF, and Office still opens it, though its 16-bit coordinates make it less precise than EMF.
AI to WMF 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 WMF 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=wmf --export-filename=output.wmfConverting 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 WMF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting AI to WMF?
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 WMF a different size from the AI?
Both store drawing instructions, so the WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF 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 a WMF file?
WMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it. WMF is common for clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files.
Is this AI to WMF 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 WMF 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 WMF is saved to your Downloads folder.