Importing other File Formats
Inkscape can import and open a large variety of file formats. The availability of some import file formats depends on other programs installed on your computer. Third-party Inkscape extensions can be used to import additional file formats.
When you import certain file formats, Inkscape may open a dialog asking you to specify import options for the file.
For some file formats, Inkscape is only able to import a subset of all available features of that file format.
Commonly available import file formats
(ordered by file extension)
- Adobe Illustrator 9.0 and above (*.ai)
Adobe Illustrator files created with Illustrator 9.0 and newer
- Adobe Illustrator SVG (*.ai.svg)
SVG file exported from Adobe Illustrator
- ani (*.ani)
file format for animated mouse cursors on MS Windows
- wmf (*.apm)
same as Windows Metafiles (*.wmf)
- bmp (*.bmp)
Windows Bitmap image file format
- Corel DRAW Compressed Exchange files (*.ccx)
Corel DRAW exchange file format
- Corel DRAW 7-X4 files (*.cdr)
Corel DRAW file format version 7-X4
- Corel DRAW 7-X4 files (UQ) (*.cdr)
Corel DRAW file format version 7-X4
- Corel DRAW 7-13 template files (*.cdt)
Corel DRAW template file format version 7-13
- Corel DRAW 7-13 template files (UC) (*.cdt)
Corel DRAW template file format version 7-13
- Computer Graphics Metafile files (*.cgm)
standardized graphics format for vector and raster data
- Corel DRAW Presentation Exchange files (*.cmx)
Corel DRAW exchange file format for presentations
- Corel DRAW Presentation Exchange files (UC) (*.cmx)
Corel DRAW exchange file format for presentations
- ico (*.cur)
non-animated cursors file format for MS Windows
- ACECAD Digimemo File (*.dhw)
ACE CAD digital notepad notes file
- Dia Diagram (*.dia)
Diagram file format from Dia
- AutoCAD DXF R13 (*.dxf)
dxf CAD file format from AutoCAD, version 13
- Enhanced Metafiles (*.emf)
proprietary Windows vector file format that only supports straight lines
- Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps)
embeddable printer graphics file
- GdkPixdata (*.gdkp)
pixel data files for GTK
- gif (*.gif)
graphics interchange format, a common raster file format (animations not supported in Inkscape)
- GIMP Gradient (*.ggr)
gradient file from Gimp, gradient will be available in the Fill and Stroke dialog
- HP Graphics Language file (*.hpgl)
plotter file format
- icns (*.icns)
Apple icon image file format
- ico (*.ico)
Windows computer icon file format
- jpeg2000 (*.j2k)
see *.jp2
- jpeg2000 (*.jp2)
standardized compressed raster image file format
- jpeg2000 (*.jpc)
see *.jp2
- jpeg (*.jpe)
see *.jpeg
- jpeg (*.jpeg)
Joint Photographic Experts Group compressed raster image file format
- jpeg (*.jpg)
see *.jpeg
- jpeg2000 (*.jpf)
see *.jp2
- jpeg2000 (*.jpx)
extended jpg2000 file format, see jp2
- pnm (*.pbm)
portable bitmap file format (black and white only)
- pcx (*.pcx)
ZSoft picture exchange raster graphics file format
- pnm (*.pgm)
portable graymap file format (grayscale)
- Adobe PDF (*.pdf)
standardized document exchange file format
- HP Graphics Language Plot file [AutoCAD] (*.plt)
plotter file format
- png (*.png)
portable network graphics, a lossless raster image file format
- pnm (*.pnm)
portable anymap file format (see also pbm, pgm and ppm)
- pnm (*.ppm)
portable pixmap file format (RGB)
- PostScript (*.ps)
printer graphics language file format
- qtif (*.qif)
see *.qtif
- qtif (*.qtif)
Quick Time image file format
- ras (*.ras)
Sun (Solaris) raster file format
- Scalable Vector Graphic (*.svg)
SVG files, such as the files Inkscape generates
- Compressed Inkscape SVG (*.svgz)
gzip-compressed SVG file with all editor data
- tga (*.targa)
see *.tga
- tga (*.tga)
Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Array image file
- tiff (*.tif)
see *.tiff
- tiff (*.tiff)
Tagged Image File Format (raster file format)
- Microsoft Visio 2013 drawing (*.vsdm)
drawings created in MS Visio 2013
- Microsoft Visio 2013 drawing (*.vsdx)
drawings created in MS Visio 2013
- Microsoft Visio XML Diagram (*.vdx)
diagrams created in MS Visio
- Microsoft Visio Diagram (*.vsd)
diagrams created in MS Visio
- Windows Metafiles (*.wmf)
improved version of .wmf with support for Bézier curves
- WordPerfect Graphics (*.wpg)
graphics exported from Word Perfect
- Microsoft XAML (*.xaml)
Microsoft’s graphical user interface description language file format
- xbm (*.xbm)
X BitMap file format for cursors (black and white)
- xpm (*.xpm)
X PixMap file format for cursors (color, successor of *.xbm)