What is an EMZ file?
EMZ stands for Compressed Enhanced Metafile. It was created by Microsoft and first released in 1993. An EMZ is an EMF drawing compressed with gzip. Office stores pictures this way, and a web page saved from Word or PowerPoint comes with a folder of image001.emz files, which is where most EMZ files people want to open come from.
| Type | image |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| Colour | Windows drawing commands, which can also hold bitmaps |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Word, PowerPoint and LibreOffice show it inside documents |
| Common uses | pictures inside Office files and web pages saved from Word or PowerPoint |
| MIME type | image/x-emz |
Which format should you convert EMZ to?
- EMZ to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- EMZ to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- EMZ to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
EMZ is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open an EMZ file
An EMZ file does not open in a web browser, and only some devices have a program for it. Here is what works on each. If none of these is to hand, converting the file to PNG here is the quickest way to see what is inside it.
| Windows | Word and PowerPoint place it with Insert, Pictures; 7-Zip (free) unpacks the EMF inside, which Inkscape opens. |
|---|---|
| Mac | LibreOffice (free) opens it, and Word and PowerPoint for Mac place it in documents. |
| iPhone and iPad | iPhone and iPad cannot show EMZ. Convert it to PNG or PDF here to view it. |
| Android | Android cannot show EMZ. Convert it to PNG or PDF here to view it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .emz file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
EMZ compared with other image formats
How EMZ stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMZ | Lossless | No | 1993 | pictures inside Office files and web pages saved from Word or PowerPoint |
| SVG | Lossless | Yes | 2001 | logos, icons, charts and illustrations on the web |
| EPS | Lossless | No | 1987 | logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics |
| Either | No | 1993 | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files | |
| AI | Lossless | Yes | 1987 | logos, illustrations and print artwork made in Illustrator |
How to use the EMZ converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your EMZ files on the box, or press Choose EMZ files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting EMZ files without losing quality
EMZ is a vector format, so it is a good source for any conversion. Converting it to another vector format keeps shapes as shapes; converting it to PNG or JPG draws it at one fixed size.
- Keep the original drawing as the master copy; it is the file you can edit and convert again.
- Converting between vector formats keeps shapes as shapes. Converting to PNG or JPG fixes the drawing at one size, so pick the largest size you will need.
- Each vector format supports different effects: gradients, transparency and filters are where results differ most, so check them after converting.
- For laser cutters and CAD programs, DXF is the usual format; for Office documents, EMF; for the web, SVG.
Convert EMZ files from the command line
gzip and Inkscape do the same on your own computer:
gunzip -c input.emz > input.emf
inkscape input.emf --export-type=png --export-dpi=300 --export-background=white --export-filename=output.png
magick output.png output.jpgConverting 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.
EMZ converter FAQ
What is an EMZ file?
EMZ stands for Compressed Enhanced Metafile, an image format created by Microsoft in 1993. An EMZ is an EMF drawing compressed with gzip. Office stores pictures this way, and a web page saved from Word or PowerPoint comes with a folder of image001.emz files, which is where most EMZ files people want to open come from.
How do I open an EMZ file?
EMZ does not open in browsers; Word, PowerPoint and LibreOffice show it inside documents. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common EMZ conversion?
EMZ to JPG is the conversion people search for most. The EMZ is unpacked on our conversion server, because it is an EMF drawing compressed with gzip, and the EMF inside is opened by Inkscape, the open-source vector editor, and saved as a PDF, and MuPDF draws it at 300 dpi, so a drawing 10 cm wide becomes about 1,180 pixels wide. The longest side is capped at 6,000 pixels.
Does converting EMZ files here upload them?
Yes. EMZ conversions need Inkscape and MuPDF, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion 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.
Is the EMZ converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert EMZ files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your EMZ files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several EMZ files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.