What is a WMZ file?
WMZ stands for Compressed Windows Metafile. It was created by Microsoft and first released in 1990. A WMZ is a WMF drawing compressed with gzip, found in the image folders of web pages saved from Office. Windows Media Player skins also use the .wmz extension; those are ZIP archives of skin files and are not this format.
| 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; Word, PowerPoint and LibreOffice show it inside documents |
| Common uses | pictures inside older Office documents and web pages saved from them |
| MIME type | image/x-wmz |
Which format should you convert WMZ to?
- WMZ to JPG for photos that must open everywhere and stay small.
- WMZ to PDF to print, or to attach as a document.
WMZ is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open a WMZ file
A WMZ 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 PDF here makes it open on any device.
| Windows | Word and PowerPoint place it with Insert, Pictures; 7-Zip (free) unpacks the WMF 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 WMZ. Convert it to JPG or PDF here to view it. |
| Android | Android cannot show WMZ. Convert it to JPG or PDF here to view it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .wmz file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
WMZ compared with other image formats
How WMZ stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMZ | Lossless | No | 1990 | pictures inside older Office documents and web pages saved from them |
| 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 WMZ converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your WMZ files on the box, or press Choose WMZ 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 WMZ files without losing quality
WMZ 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 WMZ files from the command line
gzip and Inkscape do the same on your own computer:
gunzip -c input.wmz > input.wmf
inkscape input.wmf --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.
WMZ converter FAQ
What is a WMZ file?
WMZ stands for Compressed Windows Metafile, an image format created by Microsoft in 1990. A WMZ is a WMF drawing compressed with gzip, found in the image folders of web pages saved from Office. Windows Media Player skins also use the .wmz extension; those are ZIP archives of skin files and are not this format.
How do I open a WMZ file?
WMZ 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 WMZ conversion?
WMZ to JPG is the conversion people search for most. The WMZ is unpacked on our conversion server, because it is a WMF drawing compressed with gzip, and the WMF 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 WMZ files here upload them?
Yes. WMZ 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 WMZ 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 WMZ files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your WMZ files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several WMZ files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.