Extract text from DRW files
To convert your DRW file to another format, you need CorelDRAW or other Vector Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Legacy Illustration File" file type, you need software like CorelDRAW or a similar tool.
The .drw file extension is a generic container used by various software packages to store vector drawings and technical illustrations, creating significant ambiguity for users. Historically, the most common origin is Micrografx Designer (or Windows Draw), a popular vector illustration tool from the 1990s that was later acquired by Corel. These legacy files are proprietary binaries that modern software, including standard image viewers and web browsers, cannot display natively. A second major source is PTC Creo (formerly Pro/ENGINEER), where the extension represents complex 2D or 3D CAD engineering drawings. Other niche creators include Compusoft Winner Design (kitchen layouts) and legacy systems like Caddie or Personal Designer.
This format fragmentation creates a major workflow bottleneck: users often possess a .drw file without knowing which software created it, and installing a suite like PTC Creo (expensive) or finding a working copy of Micrografx (obsolete) is impractical for simply viewing a file. Furthermore, direct editing is often restricted due to version incompatibilities or proprietary encryption. To bypass these hurdles, the recommended workflow is conversion based on intent. For archiving and universal viewing, convert .drw to PDF or PDF/A. If you need to edit the vector paths in modern tools like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, convert to SVG or EPS. For CAD interoperability, converting to DXF or DWG preserves the technical line data for import into applications like AutoCAD.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DRW file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DWG, 1, AD_DRW, DWR, 2, 3, 53, 10, 9, 6, 45, SLDDRW and PDF files.
If you want to convert DRW file to PDF, DWG, DXF, SRW, JPG, KML, STEP, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP or 3DM, you can use CorelDRAW or similar software from the "Vector Graphics Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to DRW, try CorelDRAW or another comparable tool in the "Vector Graphics 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 DRW converter.