How to read cdr files. How to open a .CDR file? What is CDR format

Youtube

Raster and vector images created by CorelDRAW are saved in the CDR extension. Open image in format .cdr, in addition to native Corel, you can use online viewers and free programs on Windows, macOS and Android. We will answer the question “How to open a CDR format” by compiling a complete list of useful applications and online services in our article.

Format Description

CDR was developed by Corel Corporation specifically for its own software package, including Corel Photo-Pain, Corel CAPTURE and Corel TRACE.

A CDR project file is a compressed ZIP archive of several structured XML and RIFF files.

Since the CDR format is proprietary and licensed to Corel, almost all third-party editors do not support drawing processing in this extension.

We've compiled a list of third-party software that supports CDR and online services to open a CDR file online. However, this type of file, opened in “foreign” software, is only available for viewing, but not for editing.

Open online

The universal viewer ofoct.com will help you open a CDR format file online - it can easily open and convert most graphic extensions.

To view the image:

go to the start page of the site and in the “Online Tools” section select the CDR Viewer Online command;
drag the desired file into the “Drag & Drop Files” field or place a direct link. Click "Open";
in the “Options” column, set the quality parameter and click “View” next to it.

Online conversion time depends on the size of the source file.

The drawing will become available for viewing in a new window with a toolbar.

How to open on PC

We'll tell you how to open graphics in CDR format on the Windows platform.

Launch the application and tap “Open file”.
The CDR picture has been placed in the archive folder. Open the one that contains the one you need.
When unzipped, the pictures are displayed like this:
Check the picture and edit:
To save changes, click on the folder with the arrow below.

Alternative to CorelDraw

You cannot work directly with CDRs in Adobe Illustrator. To do this, the drawing must be imported in a different extension - eps or pdf.

There are two options for opening: set a different format in CorelDraw or convert in an online service.

In the first case, open the image in CorelDraw and click "File".
In the drop-down list, select “Publish to PDF.”
Set a new name for the document, select a folder for downloading.
Click "Save".

In the second case, go to the Zamzar website and change the format of the drawing in three steps for further work in Adobe Illustrator.

To upload a file, click "Choose Files".
In the "Convert files to" field, select eps.
Click "Convert". The image will be saved to the Downloads folder.

After that, load the drawing into Illustrator and continue editing.

Problems with CDR

Sometimes the program experiences system failures and the file code becomes corrupted. To restore a document, use the popular WinZip archiver.

Archive the damaged file.
Save using the “Make a backup copy when saving” option.
The picture will be saved in the tmp extension. Rename the file to .zip and extract the archive.

If you are seriously involved in printing images on T-shirts, then you probably often deal with the vector CDR format. This is a vector format of the CorelDraw program. It's good to have this program installed on your computer. In this case, by opening a folder with pictures in CDR format, you can see small previews of the images and select the one you need. What should those who do not have CorelDraw installed do? Should I install it to view several pictures? This is hardly advisable.

This is probably why I constantly come across questions - how to view CDRs, how to open the CDR format, how to see CDR, AI vector images, etc.

2. Paid program for viewing CDRs

The next interesting program that can view images in vector CDR, AI and others is called - ST Thumbnails Explorer.

This program has two disadvantages - the English interface and the license fee. But when you get to know her closely, you realize that these are trifles! Despite the English language, the ST Explorer program is quite easy to understand. Moreover, the cost of the license is only 297 rubles. Is this an obstacle for a business person?

But this program has several significant advantages. For example, it is capable of viewing vectors in very large sizes, up to 600x600 pixels. And when you hover the cursor over an image, a window appears with full information about it - editor version, creation date, size and even the name of the font for the text inside the image. True, if the text is converted into curves, the program can easily make mistakes.

A CDR format is a file that was created in Corel DRAW containing a raster or vector image. Corel uses this format in its own products, so it can also be opened by other Corel software. However, the most convenient software for working with CDR is Corel Draw, moreover, it has few competitors, and this despite the fact that the program costs a lot of money.

Today we will look at free analogues of Corel Draw, and also talk about their features in more detail.

Corel Draw

How can this be, because Corel Draw costs a lot of money, so why consider it, you say? There is one interesting feature here - you can download a trial version on the official website, which is valid for 30 days. That's why she made it onto our list.

Program features:

This is an editor for both vector and raster graphics.

Includes a program for converting raster images, for creating screenshots, and an e-book for working with the software.

The ability to create any objects, from a logo to multi-page websites or brochures.

Support for a huge number of different files, including those used by programs such as AutoCAD and Microsoft Word.

It is possible to view PDF files that are password protected.

The official online service allows users to exchange various images with each other.

It is possible to recognize the font used in a bitmap image.

This, as you might have guessed, is only a small part of all the functions of Corel Draw. But the main problem is, of course, the high cost. The cheapest option I found costs about $600, and some stores sell the software for much more. But if you are a professional designer, then the costs will come back to you with interest.

Inkscape

The main feature of Inkscape is that it is an open tool that anyone can participate in creating and testing. The project has existed for several years now and is constantly being modernized. Quite easy to use, convenient and, most importantly, free.

Users claim that the Inkscape interface at first glance is much simpler than that of Corel Draw, so it seems that it has much less functionality, but in fact this is not entirely true. Indeed, the program lacks some functions, but you will have plenty of those available.

Advantages:

Import and export of a huge number of various formats, including EPS, GIF, PCX, OpenDocument Draw, POV, XBM, etc.

Working with contours.

Availability of tools that will allow you to draw shapes faster.

There is a raster image vectorizer.

Ability to assign shortcut keys.

Saving compressed documents using the gzip algorithm.

Possibility of collective drawing.

OpenOffice.org Draw

As you might guess, Draw is part of the OpenOffice office suite, which I already discussed on the site. The program is literally tailored to the needs of the office, since here you will find tools for creating diagrams and presentations, libraries of various elements and symbols, etc. Of course, you can use this software at home - in this case it does not matter, since the entire package is distributed free of charge, including for organizations.

Features of Draw:

Creation of vector images.

Creation of three-dimensional objects (simple three-dimensional objects).

Ability to create a grid or guides used as a guide.

The ability to connect objects using connecting lines, which can be useful when creating some types of diagrams.

There is a display of sizes.

Possibility of using animation, sounds or other elements.

Export images in the most popular formats.

DrawPlus Starter Edition

DrawPlus is a professional art studio for creating vector animation and graphics. Here you will find a lot of tools necessary for a designer, with which you can draw any element you need.

Program features:

Creation and editing of vector images.

Support for graphics tablets.

Built-in calibrator.

Export, import and edit PDF files.

Tools for creating graphs, presentations and diagrams.

Professional light control.

Unusual effects that can be added to images.

High color accuracy.

Program performance.

This is, let's say, semi-free software, since after installation it requires mandatory registration. A full version of the program costs about $100.

Open file online

If you just need to open the file without editing it, then the easiest way is to use an online converter that converts CDR to another popular format, for example, JPEG or GIF.

Currently, there are several such services. The most convenient and popular of them is filespazz.com. You need to follow the link, upload the CDR file to the site, select the format you want to convert it to, add your email address and start the process. After a few minutes, a converted file will be sent to your email address, which you can open in a standard image viewing application. The maximum uploaded file size is no more than 10 MB.

The only downside that can be noted is the lack of Russian language, but this is not a problem - everything is clear on the site without unnecessary words.

If you come across a file with the .cdr extension, most likely you are dealing with a vector image. This is a type of computer graphics. Below we will tell you the history of the creation of this format and how to open a CDR file, in addition to CorelDRAW.

There are two types of 2D computer graphics:

raster;
vector

Raster graphics formats

You come across raster ones more often - on the Internet, folder with home photo archive, or when you try your creative powers by drawing in the Paint program. There are usually no problems with raster graphics; its popular formats - .jpg, .bmp, .png can be opened even by standard pre-installed Windows programs. But even Photoshop can’t handle vector ones.

This happens because vector and raster graphics have different principles for constructing an image. The display of a raster image is programmed in such a way that it consists of many dots. By zooming in to the maximum, we can easily see these points. And it will no longer look like a complete image. It will become obvious that when we see certain objects on the screen, we are actually trapped in an optical illusion, seeing only a cluster of multi-colored dots.

Features and formats of vector graphics

Vector graphics work differently. Although sometimes it is difficult to notice the difference with the naked eye. But its characteristic feature is that, that if you increase its scale to the maximum, you will not see the dots. You will see lines. And if you have looked at any logo or geometric figure, you will think that this is an amazing technology. No matter how close you approach it, the quality will not deteriorate by a single pixel. Of course - after all, it’s not all about the pixels, but about the lines and their programmed bends.

Vector graphics can be found in a wide variety of formats:

Ways to Edit a CDR File

CorelDRAW works best with this format. If you look closely, you will notice that the extension consists of the key consonants of the name of this particular program. This is not a coincidence, because it was Corel that developed this format.

Their direct competitor, Adobe Illustrator, will do just as well. These are two heavyweight programs, allowing you to view the image, but primarily focused on editing and creating graphics from scratch.

Their great advantage is their wide functionality, but there is also a disadvantage: with great power comes great responsibility, and with great functionality comes a high price. CorelDRAW will cost you from 5 to 30 thousand rubles, and Adobe Illustrator - from 9 to 23 thousand rubles.

Especially for those who cannot afford it, the Inkscape program will be a gift from heaven. This is a completely free analogue of the above-mentioned editors, not much inferior in functionality. Starting from version 0.91, the program works with a new render core, which has increased its speed and reduced the number of bugs to almost zero. Now it is a serious competitor to commercial analogues.

Happens, what you need to do is not edit the file, but simply view its contents. This task does not require such heavyweight programs as those listed above. Below is a list of the most popular programs that can display the contents of a cdr file on your monitor.

cdr format

The most common problem that prevents users from opening this file is an incorrectly assigned program. To fix this in Windows OS, you need to right-click on the file, in the context menu, hover the mouse over the “Open with” item, and select “Select a program...” from the drop-down menu. As a result, you will see a list of installed programs on your computer, and you can select the appropriate one. We also recommend checking the box next to "Use this application for all CDR files."

Another problem that our users also encounter quite often is that the CDR file is corrupted. This situation can arise in many cases. For example: the file was downloaded incompletely as a result of a server error, the file was damaged initially, etc. To resolve this problem, use one of the recommendations:

Try finding the file you need in another source on the Internet. You may have luck finding a more suitable version. Example Google search: "File filetype:CDR" . Just replace the word "file" with the name you want;
Ask them to send you the original file again, it may have been damaged during transmission;