What is a WMF file?
WMF stands for Windows Metafile. It was created by Microsoft and first released in 1990. 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.
| Type | image |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| Colour | Windows drawing commands with 16-bit coordinates, which can also hold bitmaps |
| Transparency | No |
| Animation | No |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it |
| Common uses | clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files |
| MIME type | image/wmf |
Which format should you convert WMF to?
- WMF to PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency.
- WMF to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
WMF is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open a WMF file
A WMF 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, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape (free) open it. |
|---|---|
| Mac | LibreOffice and Inkscape (both free) open it, and Word and PowerPoint place it in documents. |
| iPhone and iPad | iPhone and iPad cannot show WMF. Convert it to PNG or PDF here to view it. |
| Android | Android cannot show WMF. Convert it to PNG or PDF here to view it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .wmf file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
WMF compared with other image formats
How WMF stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMF | Lossless | No | 1990 | clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files |
| 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 WMF converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your WMF files on the box, or press Choose WMF 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 WMF files without losing quality
WMF 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 WMF files from the command line
Inkscape does the same on your own computer:
inkscape input.wmf --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.
WMF converter FAQ
What is a WMF file?
WMF stands for Windows Metafile, an image format created by Microsoft in 1990. 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.
How do I open a WMF file?
WMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common WMF conversion?
WMF to EMF is the conversion people search for most. The WMF is opened by Inkscape, the open-source vector editor, on our conversion server and saved as an Enhanced Metafile, the vector format Word, PowerPoint and other Windows programs paste and place.
Does converting WMF files here upload them?
Yes. WMF conversions need Inkscape, Ghostscript, MuPDF and librsvg, 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 WMF 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 WMF files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your WMF files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several WMF files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.