Free online WMF to SVG converter

Older Microsoft Office files, Windows clipboard content, and clip-art archives may contain WMF images that web browsers or SVG-only publishing systems cannot use directly. Saving them as SVG can preserve vector shapes for browser display and further editing, provided the WMF does not consist mainly of bitmap data.

What WMF is

WMF (Windows Metafile) is a legacy Microsoft graphics format that records Windows GDI drawing operations, including lines, fills, text, and raster images. It was used in older Windows applications, Office documents, clip-art libraries, reports, and clipboard transfers.

WMF is not exclusively vector. A file may contain vector drawing commands, embedded bitmap data, or both. WMF is also distinct from EMF (Enhanced Metafile), its newer Windows successor; software that accepts WMF does not necessarily handle EMF identically.

What SVG is

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based graphics format used by browsers, web applications, documentation systems, and vector editors. It represents shapes, paths, text, gradients, and images as structured elements that can be edited with tools such as Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator.

Vector content in an SVG scales without pixelation and can be embedded directly in HTML. SVG can also contain raster images, so an SVG file is not automatically fully vectorized.

Convert the file

To convert without installing software, upload the WMF file to 101convert.com, choose SVG as the output format, start the conversion, and download the result. Open the downloaded file in the target browser, editor, or publishing application before using it in production.

For local work, Inkscape is a practical option when its installation supports WMF import.

1. Open input.wmf through File → Open.
2. Inspect the imported drawing at high zoom for missing text, fills, symbols, clipping, and line styles.
3. Choose File → Save As.
4. Select Plain SVG for broad SVG compatibility, then save as output.svg.

If Inkscape cannot import the file, try LibreOffice Draw. Open the WMF in Draw and use File → Export, selecting an SVG output type if it is available in that installation.

Quality and compatibility limits

WMF uses Windows GDI operations that do not always map exactly to SVG. Basic paths, polygons, fills, and simple text usually transfer well; raster operations, pattern brushes, device-dependent settings, complex clipping, and legacy effects may change or be omitted.

Text can reflow or change appearance when the original Windows font is unavailable. For artwork that must retain an exact appearance, inspect the result on the destination system. Converting correctly imported text to paths avoids font substitution but removes text editability.

When the WMF contains a bitmap, that portion remains raster after export, often as an embedded image inside the SVG. Enlarging it will still reduce image quality, and tracing it separately is required to create editable vector paths.

Use Plain SVG when the destination is a browser, CMS, or application with limited SVG support. Test the output in the actual target application because some programs ignore SVG features such as CSS styling, embedded fonts, filters, or linked images.