Extract text from DRAWING files
To convert your DRAWING file to another format, you need OmniGraffle or other Vector Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Diagramming Data" file type, you need software like OmniGraffle or a similar tool.
The .drawing file extension is a generic container most frequently associated with OmniGraffle, a premier diagramming and visual prototyping tool for macOS. These files are typically XML Property Lists (plists) or zipped packages that store vector objects, canvases, connection lines, and layer metadata. While powerful within the Apple ecosystem, this format presents significant barriers to collaboration: it is effectively invisible to Windows and Linux operating systems, and opening it requires a licensed copy of OmniGraffle or specific macOS frameworks. A secondary but notable use case involves raw stroke data from Apple PencilKit, used by apps like Apple Notes or third-party iOS drawing tools to store pressure-sensitive, handwritten input.
Because .drawing files are often proprietary buckets of vector data, they are unsuitable for web deployment or cross-platform sharing. Sending a raw .drawing file to a client guarantees a "How do I open this?" email response. To bypass this lock-in, the most pragmatic workflow is converting the file to a standard format. For archiving or reviewing diagrams without losing visual fidelity, PDF is the industry standard. If you need to edit the vector paths in software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, converting to SVG is essential. For simple embedding in documents or web pages where vector scalability isn't required, a high-resolution PNG remains the most compatible option.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DRAWING file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DWG, JPG, PDF, ODG, VSD, SKETCH, IMAGE and ANIMATION files.
If you want to convert DRAWING file to PDF, IMAGE, ANIMATION, SKETCH, SVG, AI, EPS, JPG, CDR, WMF, EMF or SWF, you can use OmniGraffle or similar software from the "Vector Diagram Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert AFPUB, EPS, FIG, VSD, SKETCH, VDX, AFPHOTO, PDF, AFDESIGN, SVG, VSDX or AI files to DRAWING, try OmniGraffle or another comparable tool in the "Vector Diagram Storage" 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 DRAWING converter.