Extract text from Visio stencils (VSS)
To convert VSS stencils to another format, you need Microsoft Visio or other Vector Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Visio Stencil Set" file type, you need software like Microsoft Visio or a similar tool.
The .VSS file format is a legacy Microsoft Visio Stencil Set. It stores collections of pre-drawn shapes, connectors, and objects used to build flowcharts, network diagrams, and floor plans in Microsoft Visio. A very small percentage of .VSS files are also used as plain-text PCB manufacturing neutral files by Mentor Graphics Xpedition.
The primary disadvantage of the .VSS format is its proprietary binary structure (Microsoft OLE Compound Document). It requires an expensive Microsoft Visio license to open natively. The format is fundamentally outdated; Microsoft replaced it with the XML-based VSSX format in 2013. Legacy binary files are prone to corruption and are often blocked by corporate email filters due to macro security risks. Furthermore, you cannot open a .VSS file in a standard web browser or generic vector editor.
To overcome these limitations, you must convert the file. For editing in modern Visio versions, convert to VSSX. If you only need to extract the shapes for viewing, archiving, or printing, convert to PDF. For web use or integration into alternative vector software like Inkscape, convert to SVG. Note that converting to SVG will preserve the visuals but drop proprietary Visio metadata and smart connection behaviors.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VSS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted VSSX, SVG, VSD, VSDX, ZIP, PNG, JPG, RFA, G64X, QDF, MMD, KML and DWG files.
If you want to convert VSS file to VSSX, VSDX, SVG, PNG, DWG, PDF, JPG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, TIF or WEBP, you can use Microsoft Visio or similar software from the "Diagram Shape Stencil Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert RAW, PNG, AI, NEF, PSB, DNG, SVG, GIF, EPS, JPG, ARW or PDF files to VSS, try Microsoft Visio or another comparable tool in the "Diagram Shape Stencil 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 VSS converter.