WMF file format
| Extension | .wmf |
| Category | images |
| Programs | ACD Systems ACDSee 17 Apple QuickTie Player Adobe Illustrator Corel PaintShop Pro X6 CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 Cristallight WMF Converter Pro GIMP Inkscape QuarkXPress Microsoft Publisher Newera Graphics Converter Pro Microsoft Picture It! MAGIX Xara Photo & Graphic Designer |
| Main program | Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer |
| Description | The WMF format, intimately associated with Windows, is a graphic file format that controls the display of an image on a specific device's screen. While primarily used for graphics, the WMF format isn't limited to images. It can manage various objects, including text, images, and video. Each object requires code specifying pixel displacement for accurate rendering, a task that WMF could handle in early personal computers. |
| Technical details | In addition to accurate rendering, the WMF format also enables copying and pasting data into another document or environment. Initially designed to store documents as 16-bit fragments, the WMF format now accommodates a 24-bit RGB color palette and is commonly used for exporting graphics between applications. Microsoft introduced the WMF file type as part of Windows 3.0 in 1988. Windows 3.1 (1992) updates enhanced graphics capabilities and improved application compatibility. The Windows MetaFile format's last update was released in 2006. The WMF file format continues to be relevant in Microsoft Office packages like Word and PowerPoint today. Though less prevalent than formats like JPG and GIF, WMF remains compatible with many programs. The Graphical Device Interface incorporates commands that facilitate real-time drawing through WMF. This processes the code before the image is projected on the screen, ensuring that text appears to be written by a human, not a machine. The Graphical Device Interface uses the WMF format to display text by interpreting the embedded commands for positioning and rendering. A more detailed understanding of the precise relationship between text and the Graphical Device Interface within the WMF format would be beneficial. |
| MIME type | application/x-msmetafile application/wmf application/x-wmf image/wmf image/x-wmf image/x-win-metafile zz-application/zz-winassoc-wmf |