What happens when you convert WMF to PDF
- The WMF is opened by Inkscape, the open-source vector editor, on our conversion server and saved as a PDF page the size of the drawing.
- Shapes and text stay vectors, so the PDF is as sharp as the metafile at any zoom, and it opens in every browser and on every phone.
- Windows metafiles can contain features Inkscape does not draw exactly, such as some fonts and hatch patterns, so check the result against the original.
- 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 WMF to PDF online
- Press "Choose WMF 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 PDF". 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 PDF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your WMF and the PDF by then.
Why convert WMF to PDF?
WMF files usually come from clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files. People convert them to PDF because a PDF looks the same on every device and is what forms, portals and printers ask for.
In short, WMF is good at what it was made for, and PDF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. WMF does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it, while PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer.
How to convert WMF to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your WMF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the WMF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PDF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose WMF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PDF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose WMF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PDF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for WMF to PDF
There are no settings: the drawing is converted at its own size, with every shape kept as a vector.
Keep the WMF as the master copy, and convert from it again whenever you need another format.
WMF vs PDF: the differences
| WMF | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Windows Metafile | Portable Document Format |
| Type | image | document |
| Created by | Microsoft | Adobe |
| First released | 1990 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Vector |
| Colour | Windows drawing commands with 16-bit coordinates, which can also hold bitmaps | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Windows shows it, and Word, PowerPoint, LibreOffice and Inkscape open it | opens in every browser's built-in viewer |
| Common uses | clip art collections and pictures in older Word and PowerPoint files | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
| MIME type | image/wmf | application/pdf |
About WMF and PDF files
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.
What is a PDF file?
A PDF fixes the layout of every page so it looks the same on any device. Converting a PDF to an image renders each page to pixels; converting an image to PDF wraps it as a page.
WMF to PDF 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.
- "This file is not really in WMF format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .wmf is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert WMF to PDF from the command line
Inkscape does the same on your own computer:
inkscape input.wmf --export-type=pdf --export-filename=output.pdfConverting 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 to PDF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting WMF to PDF?
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 PDF a different size from the WMF?
Both store drawing instructions, so the PDF is usually of a similar size to the WMF; embedded pictures make the biggest difference.
Are my WMF files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful WMF to PDF conversion needs Inkscape, the open-source vector editor, 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 PDF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several WMF files to PDF 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 PDF file?
PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer. PDF is common for documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files.
Is this WMF to PDF 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 WMF to PDF 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 PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.