Import EMF Files into Figma - Introducing emf.to.design

If you’ve ever received a Windows Metafile from a client or colleague—an EMF containing vector graphics from a legacy application—and tried importing it into Figma, you’ll know that Figma doesn’t recognize the format.

We built emf.to.design to solve this exact problem. This plugin converts Enhanced Metafile (EMF) and Windows Metafile (WMF) files into fully editable Figma layers, preserving vector paths, text, and styling—so you can immediately start editing without manual redrawing or third-party conversion tools.

What are EMF and WMF files?

EMF (Enhanced Metafile) is a 32-bit vector graphics format developed by Microsoft as an improved version of the older Windows Metafile (WMF) format. EMF files store graphics as a series of drawing commands—lines, curves, fills, and text—rather than pixels, making them resolution-independent.

WMF (Windows Metafile) is the 16-bit predecessor to EMF, introduced with Windows 3.0. While older, WMF files are still generated by some Windows applications and found in legacy document archives.

Both formats are commonly embedded in Microsoft Office documents, generated by CAD software, used in technical documentation, and created by diagram tools running on Windows. However, if you want to reuse these legacy files in your current design work, Figma cannot import these formats natively (see Figma’s supported formats).

What is emf.to.design?

emf.to.design is a Figma plugin that imports EMF and WMF files directly into your Figma workspace as native, editable vector layers.

The plugin parses the binary metafile structure, extracts vector paths, text elements, colors, and transforms, then reconstructs them as Figma objects. This means you can open technical diagrams from engineering software, clipart from Microsoft Office documents, or legacy graphics from Windows applications—and edit them just like any other Figma design.

How does emf.to.design work?

Converting EMF or WMF files into editable Figma layers takes just a few steps:

1. Run the emf.to.design plugin

Open your Figma file and launch emf.to.design from the plugins menu.

2. Drop your EMF or WMF file

Drag your .emf or .wmf file directly into the plugin window, or click to browse your file system. The plugin accepts both EMF and WMF formats.

3. Wait for conversion

The plugin parses the metafile’s binary structure, extracting vector commands, text objects, color definitions, and transformation matrices to deliver an exact, editable replica in Figma.

4. Edit your imported graphics

The converted graphics are automatically imported to your canvas as editable Figma layers so you can now select individual elements, change colors, adjust paths, or rearrange components immediately.

Why use emf.to.design?

✍️ Eliminate manual redrawing - Tracing technical diagrams or complex illustrations wastes hours. The plugin converts vector data directly, preserving path accuracy without manual labor.

✏️ Preserve editability - Unlike rasterizing metafiles to PNG or JPEG, this plugin maintains vector structure. Scale graphics infinitely, change individual path nodes, adjust colors, or modify text—all within Figma’s native editing tools.

🗂️ Use legacy file formats - EMF and WMF files come from Windows applications, engineering tools, and archived projects. Without this plugin, you’d need standalone conversion software or to redesign from scratch.

🚀 Speed up client work - When clients send EMF files from their internal systems, you can import and iterate immediately instead of requesting different formats or explaining Figma’s limitations.

🦖 Integrate old files in existing workflows - The plugin fits into your standard Figma process—no external tools, no export/import cycles, no file format juggling. Open the plugin, drop the file, start designing.

🪄 Import both EMF and WMF formats - Whether you receive modern Enhanced Metafiles or older Windows Metafiles, the plugin handles both variants without requiring separate tools.

Start converting EMF files to Figma designs

Figma’s inability to open EMF and WMF files creates friction when working with Windows-based tools, legacy archives, or technical documentation. emf.to.design removes that friction by converting metafiles into native Figma objects in seconds.

Give emf.to.design a try and start importing your first metafile!

Looking for other file format converters? Explore our complete library at anything.to.design, including plugins for Illustrator files, EPS graphics, and Photoshop images.