How to extract text from your P3L file
- Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your P3L file.
- You’ll see a preview, if available.
- Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert P3L to another file type
To convert your P3L file to another format, you need PAXSTORE or other System software.
- P3L to OBJ
- P3L to FBX
- P3L to DAE
- P3L to 3DS
- P3L to MAX
- P3L to BLEND
- P3L to MA
- P3L to MB
- P3L to C4D
- P3L to STL
- P3L to PLY
- P3L to WRL
Convert a file to P3L
To convert other file formats to the "POS Firmware Update" file type, you need software like PAXSTORE or a similar tool.
- DWG to P3L
- DAE to P3L
- X3D to P3L
- IGES to P3L
- WRL to P3L
- JT to P3L
- SKP to P3L
- 3DS to P3L
- 3DM to P3L
- OBJ to P3L
- STEP to P3L
- FBX to P3L
About P3L files
The .p3l extension serves two completely unrelated industries: point-of-sale (POS) hardware and 3D graphic design.
1. Payment Terminal Application (Primary)
In most commercial contexts, a .p3l file is a proprietary application or library package used by PAX Technology (and occasionally Verifone) payment terminals. These are binary system files containing firmware updates, configuration scripts, or encrypted keys required for the terminal to process transactions.
- The Problem: These files are strictly for hardware deployment. You cannot "open" them on a PC, read them in Notepad, or convert them to PDF. They are often encrypted to meet PCI-DSS security standards.
- The Solution: Do not attempt to convert this file. It must be loaded directly onto the terminal using a USB drive or a Terminal Management System (TMS) like PAXSTORE or the Verifone Terminal Configuration Utility.
2. Photoshop 3D Light Preset (Legacy)
For designers, a .p3l file is a saved 3D lighting configuration for Adobe Photoshop. It stores light direction, intensity, and color settings to ensure consistent rendering across different 3D objects.
- The Problem: Adobe has officially deprecated and removed 3D features from modern versions of Photoshop (v22.5+). As a result, newer software cannot open or import these presets, effectively locking you out of your lighting data.
- The Solution: To use this file, you must install a legacy version of Photoshop (CS6 or CC 2019). Once opened, there is no direct "converter" to modern formats, but you can apply the lighting to a scene and render the result as a standard PNG or JPG image.
Convert.Guru analyzes your P3L file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted P2L, CDR and DIA files.
The P3L Converter Story
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 P3L converter.