Convert HGL files online for free
The converter easily converts your HGL file to various formats - free and online. No Illustrator or extra software needed.
The converter also works in reverse, so you can convert other Cad formats to HGL with high quality output.
HGL files are vector graphics instructions written in Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HP-GL) or its successor, HP-GL/2. Originally developed by Hewlett-Packard for controlling pen plotters, these files contain ASCII commands - such as PU (Pen Up) and PD (Pen Down) - that tell a robotic arm exactly where to draw lines on paper. While efficient for hardware communication, .HGL files create significant friction for modern workflows: they are strictly utilitarian, often lack color fidelity information, and cannot be opened by standard image viewers, web browsers, or standard office software. Opening an .HGL file typically requires expensive CAD suites like AutoCAD or legacy plotter drivers.
To make these technical drawings accessible, users should convert them based on their end goal. For archiving engineering schematics or sharing drafts with clients who lack CAD tools, converting .HGL to PDF is the industry standard. To edit the geometry in modern design software like Adobe Illustrator or open-source tools like Inkscape, converting to SVG or DXF preserves the vector paths. For quick previews or thumbnails, converting to PNG or JPG is recommended.
Convert.Guru analyzes your HGL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted HPGL, SHE, HPG, IPT, ZIP, HP, HP_ and NFC files.
If you want to convert HGL file to SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, JPG, CDR, WMF, EMF, SWF, FLA, XFL or SKETCH, you can use AutoCAD or similar software from the "Vector Plotter Instructions" 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 HGL, try AutoCAD or another comparable tool in the "Vector Plotter Instructions" 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 HGL converter.