Free online IES to PDF converter

Lighting designers need this conversion when a client, permit submission, or project archive requires a printable report instead of a raw photometric data file. The PDF shows charts, fixture details, and calculation results, but it does not replace the original lighting data.

What the IES format is

.ies usually denotes the Illuminating Engineering Society LM-63 photometric format. It is a structured text file containing luminaire metadata, lamp information, lumen values, measurement geometry, candela readings, beam angles, and symmetry or photometric-type information.

Lighting manufacturers and photometric laboratories publish IES files for use in DIALux evo, AGi32, Autodesk lighting workflows, and other analysis software. An IES file describes light distribution; it does not contain document pages or a layout that can be exported directly. A lighting application must interpret the measurements and render charts, fixture data, or calculation results before producing a PDF.

What the PDF format is

PDF preserves a fixed page layout containing text, tables, vector graphics, charts, and raster images. It is suitable for emailing, printing, permit packages, client review, and archiving a dated snapshot of a lighting calculation.

A PDF normally does not preserve the IES candela matrix in a form that lighting software can reliably import. Keep the original .ies file with the PDF whenever the fixture may need to be recalculated, edited, or reused.

Convert an IES file with DIALux evo

1. Install DIALux evo from the official DIALux website and create a project.
2. Open the luminaire or light-source selection tools, choose the option to add a file, and select the .ies file. The exact command and drag-and-drop support vary by release.
3. Place the luminaire in a room or create a minimal scene containing the fixture. For a calculation report, set the room dimensions, reflectance, mounting height, and other required project values.
4. Run the calculation, then check the luminaire data, polar or Cartesian distribution diagram, isolux or false-colour views, glare results, and other required pages.
5. Open the documentation or project-output area and use Export or Print. Select PDF output if the installed version provides it, or select a system PDF printer such as Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows.

Convert an IES file with AGi32

1. Import the file through AGi32's luminaire or photometric-file command and confirm the imported lamp and photometric information.
2. Use the fixture in a calculation, or open its photometric view to display distribution graphs and fixture data.
3. Use File → Print and choose a system PDF printer, or use the report-export command available in the installed AGi32 version.
4. Set the paper size, orientation, page range, and print scale, then save the report as a PDF.

Print a simple photometric view

For a chart rather than a full lighting calculation, open the file in a reputable specialist viewer such as Lighting Analysts' IES Viewer or the manufacturer's photometric utility. Display the polar curve and fixture information, then use File → Print and select a PDF printer. This creates a visual report, not a new photometric data file.

Online conversion options

General document converters usually do not parse LM-63 data, so services that convert office documents or images to PDF are not suitable for producing an IES report. Use an online service only if the luminaire manufacturer or a known lighting-software vendor provides a specific IES viewer or report generator; otherwise, process the file locally with DIALux evo, AGi32, or a specialist viewer.

Do not upload proprietary manufacturer files or project data to an unknown service. If a browser-based tool accepts the file, verify that it displays the full photometric information and does not merely place the raw text in a PDF.

Quality and compatibility checks

• Confirm the imported units, lamp lumens, mounting orientation, photometric type, vertical and horizontal angles, and symmetry. Malformed, incomplete, or nonstandard LM-63 files can produce warnings or incorrect results.
• Use the manufacturer’s original IES file for calculations. A PDF chart, screenshot, or printed polar curve cannot reliably reconstruct the full candela matrix, tilt data, or metadata.
• Check the PDF after export: charts may be clipped by page margins, small labels may require landscape orientation, and rasterized views may lose detail at low print resolution.
• Record the IES filename, software and version, calculation settings, fixture orientation, and report date in the project documentation so the PDF can be evaluated against the source data.