How to view a .HPGL file online
From an unreadable file to a sharp preview in seconds.
Open your .HPGL
Drag a .HPGL file onto the box, or choose it from your device.
View the artwork
Your .HPGL file is rendered to a sharp preview, whatever it was created with.
Zoom, inspect, export
Choose the resolution, zoom into details, check the bounding box and creator, then save as PNG or PDF.
What is a .HPGL file?
An HPGL file is an HP-GL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language) plotter file, a plain-text list of pen-movement commands produced when CAD software plots to file for a pen plotter, vinyl cutter, or laser cutter. It is the same format as .plt and .hpg. To view it, use Free PLT/HPGL Viewer or Inkscape; to convert to PDF or DXF, use ViewCompanion or ABViewer.
Programs that open .HPGL files
| Full name | HP-GL Plot File (HP Graphics Language) |
|---|---|
| Developer | Hewlett-Packard |
| First released | HP-GL: late 1970s (HP 9872A plotter, 1977); HP-GL/2: 1990s |
| Category | Vector |
| MIME type | application/vnd.hp-HPGL |
Related viewers
Other free viewers that work the same way.
Can I open an .AI file without Illustrator?
Yes. Illustrator files saved with "Create PDF Compatible File" (the default since CS) contain a full PDF, which we render with pdf.js. Older PostScript-based AI files are rendered with Ghostscript. Layers and editable paths aren't shown; you get an accurate picture of the artwork.
Why does my EMF or WMF look slightly different?
Windows metafiles are drawn by our own renderer, which handles shapes, lines, fills, text and bitmaps, but not every rarely used GDI feature (clipping regions, raster operations, EMF+ effects). The file details list anything that was skipped.
Is my .HPGL file uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs as WebAssembly and JavaScript. The first EPS or PS file downloads its renderer (about 16 MB) once; after that it's cached.
Can I convert EPS to PNG or PDF?
Yes. Pick a resolution (up to 600 dpi) and press PNG, or press PDF to get a vector PDF made by Ghostscript.
Does it play Flash (.SWF) files?
Yes, with Ruffle, an open-source Flash emulator. Most animations and many games work; complex ActionScript 3 content may not.
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