Skip to content

Windows Metafile (WMF) to PDF converter

WMF → PDF keeps an old Windows drawing as vectors and text, in a file that a print shop, LaTeX or any PDF reader handles without a Windows machine.

  • Converted with Office engine · input deleted within 24 h
  • Free: 5 conversions a day · 5 MB each
  • Higher limits →

From real runs

What you get — and what changes

  • Page size Changed

    The page is cut to the drawing: the Visio-exported block diagram became a 510 × 192 pt page instead of sitting on A4.

  • Text Kept

    The caption Each input/output has individual DCDC converter is selectable text in the PDF.

  • Lines and boxes Kept

    Arrows, box outlines and the diagonal converter symbols are vector strokes.

  • Window frame drawing Kept

    A plain WMF of a window frame with its 770 and 465 dimension labels converted on a 529 × 373 pt page with every line in place.

  • Fonts Changed

    Labels in both test files were set in Liberation Sans, which has the same character widths as Arial, so captions kept their length.

  • Pictures that draw nothing Lost

    A test WMF that draws nothing visible was refused with a message rather than becoming an empty PDF.

Sample conversions

Block diagram exported from Visio

Input
13,801-byte plain WMF.
Output
12,356-byte PDF, one 510 × 192 pt page, in 3.9 s.

Window frame drawing

Input
1,268-byte plain WMF with frame lines and two dimension numbers.
Output
7,041-byte PDF, one 529 × 373 pt page, in 2.5 s.

A real Windows Metafile (WMF) → PDF run

We converted our Windows Metafile (WMF) sample (50 KB) with Office engine on 2026-10-20. It took 1.5 s and produced a 2 KB PDF file, 96% smaller than the input. The engine raised no warnings.

Input · sample.wmf · 50 KB

51,590 bytes

Output · sample.pdf · 2 KB

PDF 1.6, 1 page, selectable text, 1 image object

Version
1.6
Pages
1
Images
1
Text layer
yes

Options and when to change them

filter
Leave it unset; there is only one sensible PDF export for a metafile.

Do it yourself

LibreOffice

bash
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf drawing.wmf

The drawing lands in the middle of an A4 page; crop it if the page size matters.

Windows Metafile (WMF) to PDF by API or MCP

The HTTP API and the MCP server run the exact engine this page uses (Office engine); the response carries the same warnings the web converter shows. Check support first with GET /api/v1/pairs?from=wmf&to=pdf.

curl
curl -X POST https://filetypeconverters.com/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FTC_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@input.wmf" -F "from=wmf" -F "to=pdf" \
  --output output.pdf
API reference

When this is the wrong conversion

  • If the picture is going on a web page, WMF → PNG or SVG is what browsers display.
  • If the WMF holds only a scanned photo, a PDF adds nothing; convert to PNG instead.

Windows Metafile (WMF) to PDF questions

Is the PDF vector or a picture?

Vector. WMF drawing commands become PDF paths and text; only bitmaps embedded in the WMF stay bitmaps.

Why does the PDF page have an odd size?

It is cut to the drawing plus a small margin, which is what you want when the PDF is placed as a figure.

Can a print shop use this PDF?

For line drawings, yes: lines stay sharp at any size. Check fonts, because substitutes are used where the original typeface is missing.

Related conversions