CorelDRAW converter

CDR is CorelDRAW's native format. Up to version 13 (X3) it is a RIFF file whose header names the version, such as CDRC for CorelDRAW 12 or CDRD for X3; from X4 onwards the same RIFF data sits inside a ZIP package next to thumbnails and metadata, and later releases split it into several data files. The format is undocumented, so every program outside CorelDRAW reads it through reverse-engineered code.

Our office engine reads that reverse-engineered structure, and how well it works depends on the version. Files from CorelDRAW 7 to X7 opened in our tests (one X4 file excepted), with vector artwork, colours and page sizes intact. CorelDRAW 5 files lost text and arrowheads, and files from the newest releases kept only an embedded bitmap while every vector shape vanished, so both groups are refused with a reason rather than converted badly.

Within the supported range the usual differences are fonts, rotated or vertical text and effects. Symbol and music fonts turn into empty boxes, an upside-down label copy was printed upright, curves inside chart grids disappeared from one engineering sheet, and part of an embedded bitmap became white blocks in a CorelDRAW 8 poster. Check every page before sending a conversion to print.

When the file has to be exact, the reliable route is still CorelDRAW itself: Publish to PDF for print, or Save As with an older version for someone who uses a different tool.