Extract text from ChemSketch drawings (SK2)
To convert SK2 drawings to another format, you need ACD/ChemSketch or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Chemical Drawing File" file type, you need software like ACD/ChemSketch or a similar tool.
The .SK2 file is a proprietary chemical drawing document created exclusively by ACD/ChemSketch. It is utilized by chemists and researchers to store complex 2D and 3D molecular structures, reaction diagrams, and calculated chemical properties such as molecular weight and IUPAC nomenclature.
However, relying on the .SK2 format poses significant real-world sharing challenges. It is a highly specialized, proprietary format that severely restricts interoperability. These files cannot be opened natively on Mac, mobile devices, or standard web browsers, forcing recipients to install the Windows-centric ChemSketch software just to view a diagram. This makes collaborating with non-chemists, or users of competing suites like ChemDraw, highly frustrating.
To effectively publish or share these drawings, you should convert the .SK2 file to standard vector formats like SVG and PDF, raster images like PNG, or universal chemical data models like MOL and SDF. Note that converting to an image format strips the underlying chemical metadata, converting it into a flat graphic.
This file format is difficult to open or convert using third-party tools because its internal binary encoding is closed and undocumented. Explain clearly why standard online converters fail to process it: without the proprietary rendering engine, mapping the coordinate data to molecular bonds is almost impossible. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. We can inspect the raw binary file and show internal text or content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SK2 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PRT, SKP, TSX and PDF files.
If you want to convert SK2 file to PDF, SVG, AI, EPS, JPG, CDR, WMF, EMF, SWF, FLA, XFL or SKETCH, you can use ACD/ChemSketch or similar software from the "Chemical Structure 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 SK2, try ACD/ChemSketch or another comparable tool in the "Chemical Structure 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 SK2 converter.