What Is an EMZ File?

How to open, edit, & convert EMZ files

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Updated on February 2, 2023

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What to Know

An EMZ file is a Windows Compressed Enhanced Metafile file.
Open one with XnView MP or Quick View Plus.
Convert to JPG, PNG, or some other image format with XnConvert or CoolUtils.

This article explains what an EMZ file is, how to open one directly or extract its EMF image, and which programs are able to convert one to an image format like JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Definition of an EMZ File

A file with the EMZ file extension is a compressed image file, more specifically referred to as a Windows Compressed Enhanced Metafile file.

These types of files are actually just GZIP compressed EMF files, which is a graphics format used by Microsoft applications like Visio, Word, and PowerPoint.

EMF files that are stored within EMZ files are called Windows Enhanced Metafile files, but some files with the .EMF file extension are completely unrelated and stored in the Jasspa MicroEmacs Macro format.

How to Open an EMZ File

The free XnView MP program can view EMZ files on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

You can also open an EMZ file by inserting it into any Microsoft 365/Office program as an image. You can do this from the Insert > Pictures menu option or by dragging and dropping the file into an open document, like a new or existing Word document.

Another option is to extract the EMF file from the EMZ file with a program like 7-Zip. You can then open the extracted EMF file in an image editing program or use it however you wish.

Even though 7-Zip and most other free zip/unzip tools will allow the extraction of the files included in the EMZ file, they don't have that support for that extension built-in. All that means is that you have to open the extraction program first, then navigate to the EMZ file to open its compressed contents. In 7-Zip, this can be done by right-clicking the EMZ file and choosing 7-Zip > Open archive.

Other graphics programs can open EMZ files as well. Quick View Plus is one example, but while it can open the EMZ file, it can't edit it.

If you're dealing with an EMF file that isn't in a graphics format, you might have a macro file used with the Jasspa MicroEmacs program.

How to Convert an EMZ File

The best way to convert an EMZ file is to open it in a free image converter like XnConvert or CoolUtils. You can then save the file to another format like JPG, PNG, or GIF, that'll probably be more useful.

Another way to convert an EMZ file is to first extract the EMF file out of it using a file unzip tool, like 7-Zip, as described above, and then use a free file converter on the EMF file.

If you can't find an EMZ converter that will convert the file directly to another format you want it in (e.g., PDF), first convert the EMZ file to a format that is supported (like PNG), and then convert that file to the format you want (like PDF). For this example, Zamzar would work perfectly for converting PNG to PDF.

More Information on EMZ Files

The resulting EMF file decompressed from an EMZ file is a newer version of Microsoft's Windows Metafile (WMF) file format. So while EMF files are GZIP-compressed to an EMZ file, the WMF format can be ZIP-compressed, resulting in a WMZ file.

A Windows Metafile file is similar to the SVG format in that they may contain bitmap and vector graphics.

After opening an EMZ file with a file unzip utility, you may find that there are no EMF files in there but instead files that have the .EM extension. You should be able to rename these to .EMF and still use them as you would an EMF file.

Still Can't Open Your File?

The most likely reason that your file isn't opening as an EMZ file with the programs mentioned above, is because it's not really an EMZ file. You can double-check this by looking at the file extension.

For example, it's easy to confuse EMZ files and EML files because their file extensions are very similar. However, an EML file is an E-Mail Message file used by some email clients to store an email message—this is completely unrelated to EMZ files.

Similarly, EMI files, which already look a lot like EML files, might be confused for EMZ files even though they're used by the game Pocket Tanks.

The same could be said for any file format that uses a similarly sounding or similarly spelled suffix, like EMY for eMelody Ringtone files. These files might look an awful lot like they're related to EMZ files but they can't open with the same programs, and require instead a text editor or the Awave Studio program.

If your file doesn't actually end with ".EMZ," research the real file extension on Google to learn which programs can open or convert it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does EMZ stand for? The abbreviation stands for Enhanced Metafile-Zipped. An EMZ file is also known as a Windows Compressed Enhanced Metafile file, which is a compressed image file.
How do you open an EMZ file online? Go to View EMZ Online to open an EMZ file online. When you drop or upload a file to the site, it redirects you to the viewer application where you can navigate between pages and, if desired, download the file in PNG or PDF format.
How do I open an EMZ file on an Android? You can use almost any zipper app in Google Play to open EMZ files. For example, download the 7Zipper app and navigate through the app to locate the EMZ file you want to open. Long-press the EMZ file, select Extract, and choose a folder to save the contents of the EMZ file (EMF images). Open and view the EMF images in any image viewer on your Android.

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