Extract text from STYLE files
To convert your STYLE file to another format, you need ArcGIS Desktop or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "Symbol Database" file type, you need software like ArcGIS Desktop or a similar tool.
The .STYLE extension is most frequently associated with legacy ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) symbol libraries. Internally, these files are proprietary Microsoft Access (JetDB) databases that store collections of map symbols, color ramps, and line patterns. Because this format is deprecated in favor of the modern SQLite-based .STYLX format used by ArcGIS Pro, users often face significant friction when migrating old projects. You cannot simply double-click a .STYLE file to open it in modern GIS applications; it must be imported and converted. Additionally, because the format is a binary database, it is opaque to standard text editors, making manual extraction of symbol data difficult without specific tooling.
A secondary but common use of this extension is within SketchUp, where it acts as a visual settings container defining how a 3D model is rendered (e.g., edge thickness, sketchy lines, watermarks). These files can sometimes be ZIP archives containing XML definitions and texture images.
For ArcGIS users, the primary conversion workflow is migrating to .STYLX for use in ArcGIS Pro. If you need to access the raw data or icons without GIS software, renaming the file to MDB (for older ArcMap styles) may allow you to extract metadata using database tools, or you can convert symbols to standard image formats like PNG or SVG for web and print use. For SketchUp users, the goal is often sharing styles between projects or converting the internal textures to standard JPG or PNG images.
Convert.Guru analyzes your STYLE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted STYLX, STY, PNG, JPG, PDF, ZIP, MPD, MDB and MDF files.
If you want to convert STYLE file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use ArcGIS Desktop or similar software from the "Map Symbol Library" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert LAZ, KMZ, DTM, CSV, DEM, PRJ, LAS, GPX, DSM, SHP, DBF or KML files to STYLE, try ArcGIS Desktop or another comparable tool in the "Map Symbol Library" 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 STYLE converter.