How to view a .VSS file online
From an unreadable file to a sharp preview in seconds.
Open your .VSS
Drag a .VSS file onto the box, or choose it from your device.
View the artwork
Your .VSS 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 .VSS file?
A VSS file is a Microsoft Visio stencil, a library of reusable shapes (SmartShapes) used to build Visio diagrams, in the binary format used up to Visio 2010. Open it in Visio via Shapes pane > More Shapes > Open Stencil. Modern Visio (2013+) still reads VSS files. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint cannot open VSS stencils.
Programs that open .VSS files
| Full name | Microsoft Visio Stencil (legacy binary, 2010 and earlier) |
|---|---|
| Developer | Microsoft |
| First released | 1992 (Visio 1.0 era); VSS binary stencil format through Visio 2010 |
| Category | Vector |
| MIME type | application/vnd.visio |
| Signature | D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 (ÐÏ.ࡱ.á - OLE2 / Compound File Binary Format (CFB) header) |
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 .VSS 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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