How to import WMF files

WMF vector graphics are of little to no significance in the realm of professional printing. However, they are ubiquitous in the Microsoft dominated "Office" world. This means that sooner or later Scribus users will have to find a way to import them. Scribus doesn't support WMF yet, and actually it doesn't need to, since there are two easy workarounds for the issue.

Option 1: Inkscape Inkscape's import for WMF is quite mature, and most WMF files can be imported without issues. If you absolutely need to get a WMF file into Scribus, open it with Inkscape and save it as Inkscape SVG. The resulting SVG will import flawlessly into Scribus.

Option 2: OpenOffice.org/StarOffice Some WMFs can't be imported correctly by Inkscape. In these cases you can use OpenOffice.org or StarOffice. As "Office" applications they offer perfect support for WMF files. Create a new OpenOffice.org/StarOffice Draw file. Then use Insert – Picture – From File to import a WMF file. The next step is crucial: Use the context menu and apply Break. This is the equivalent of "Ungroup" in Scribus or a vector drawing program. If you forget this step, OpenOffice.org/StarOffice will embed the WMF as an image, and Scribus won't import it. Once the drawing is ungrouped or "broken up", export the selection as EPS or SVG. Scribus will import the result without issues in most cases.

(c) Christoph Schäfer 2007 The content of this page is licensed under the Free Documentation License.