Extract text from AFP files
To convert your AFP file to another format, you need IBM AFP Viewer or other Page Layout software.
To convert other file formats to the "Print Stream & DTP" file type, you need software like IBM AFP Viewer or a similar tool.
The .afp extension primarily refers to the Advanced Function Presentation format, a presentation architecture developed by IBM for high-speed, high-volume mainframe printing. These files are typically generated by banking, insurance, and utility systems to produce massive batches of invoices, statements, and reports. Because .afp files are designed for specific IPDS (Intelligent Printer Data Stream) printers rather than screen viewing, they are notoriously difficult to open on standard workstations without specialized software like the IBM AFP Viewer. They are essentially binary print streams containing text, vector graphics, raster images, and barcodes, making them incompatible with standard document editors like Word or Adobe Acrobat. Users often need to convert these archival print streams into PDF or PDF/A for electronic distribution, compliance archiving, and easy viewing in web browsers.
Alternatively, a modern .afp file may be a proprietary project file created by Affinity Publisher, a professional desktop publishing application by Serif. These files contain complex page layouts, linked assets, typography, and layers similar to INDD files from Adobe InDesign. The primary constraint with Affinity .afp files is their lack of backward compatibility and proprietary lock-in; they cannot be opened by InDesign or older versions of Publisher. For sharing designs with clients who do not own the software, converting these layout files to PDF (for print-ready proofs) or PNG/JPG (for quick digital previews) is essential.
Convert.Guru analyzes your AFP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted APF, DAT, AFPHOTO, PDF, ZIP, ETL, PNG, JPG, BIN, TSX and CRDOWNLOAD files.
If you want to convert AFP file to PDF, BASE64, HEX, BIN, ENC, CRYPT, AES, DES, RSA, PGP, GPG or ASC, you can use IBM AFP Viewer or similar software from the "High-Volume Transactional Printing" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert CER, BIN, PEM, DER, KEY, P7S, PFX, ENC, P12, BASE64, P7B or HEX files to AFP, try IBM AFP Viewer or another comparable tool in the "High-Volume Transactional Printing" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AFP converter.