CDR to JPG Converter
Send a CorelDRAW design to someone who only needs to look at it. This page renders the CDR artwork as a JPG at the resolution you choose, ready for WhatsApp, email, a marketplace listing or a quick proof.
CAD Converter
or drop DWG, DXF, DWF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Model space is the full drawing. All layouts exports each paper-space sheet as its own page, as set up in AutoCAD.
Fit to page scales the drawing to fill the sheet. Actual size keeps drawing units 1:1 (1 mm in the drawing = 1 mm on paper) and may span a larger page.
Same as source uses the size set in each layout. A1 and A0 are the usual plotter sheets for architectural drawings.
Auto turns the page to match the drawing's longer side.
Monochrome prints every line black, like plotting with a monochrome.ctb style — best for printed plans on white paper.
White suits printing. Black looks like the AutoCAD drawing area; transparent works for placing the drawing in other documents (not available in JPG).
300 DPI is print quality; 150 is enough for screens. At A1 and 600 DPI an image is 14,000 px wide, so higher values make very large files.
Only used when the input is a photo or scan (JPG, PNG). Outline draws the edges of shapes, good for logos and laser cutting; centreline draws single lines through strokes, good for scanned line drawings and plotters.
Pixels darker than this become lines. Raise it if faint lines are missing, lower it if background noise turns into shapes.
Higher values give fewer, smoother curves; lower values follow the pixels more closely but create more points.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the CDR files
Add up to 20 CorelDRAW files, 95 MB each. Convert text to curves in CorelDRAW first if the design uses unusual fonts.
- 2
Choose a resolution
Resolution starts at 300 DPI, enough for a print proof. Drop it to 150 or 96 DPI for a lighter image that only needs to look right on a phone.
- 3
Convert to JPG
Press Convert to JPG and download the images, or one ZIP for a batch.
Why convert CorelDRAW CDR files to JPG
Corel released CorelDRAW in 1989, and its CDR format has stayed closed ever since. Outside CorelDRAW, only a handful of programs read it, mostly through the open-source libcdr library used by Inkscape and LibreOffice Draw, and results vary with the version that saved the file. Windows, macOS, Android and iOS do not preview CDR files at all.
That is why so many CDR files end up as JPG. Sign makers, print shops and freelance designers in markets where CorelDRAW is the standard tool send JPG mockups for approval, upload JPG previews to marketplace listings and post them to social media. JPG has been readable by everything since the JPEG standard was published in 1992, and at 300 DPI it is detailed enough for a proof print.
CDR to JPG resolution and pixel size
| in | Pixels at | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 150 DPI | 300 DPI | |
| 3.5 in (business card) | 252 | 525 | 1050 |
| 8.27 in (A4 width) | 595 | 1240 | 2480 |
| 8.5 in (Letter width) | 612 | 1275 | 2550 |
| 11.69 in (A4 height) | 842 | 1754 | 3508 |
| 24 in (roll-up banner) | 1728 | 3600 | 7200 |
CDR
CorelDRAW drawing
CDR is the native file format of CorelDRAW, a vector graphics editor first released by Corel in 1989. It stores vector shapes, text, layers and multi-page layouts and is widely used in sign making, vinyl cutting, packaging and print shops. The format is proprietary and changes between CorelDRAW versions, so other programs import it only partially. Most viewers, browsers and design apps outside the Corel ecosystem cannot open CDR files.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- No
- Introduced
- 1989 · Corel
JPG
JPEG image
JPEG (or JPG) is the most widely used photo format, standardised by the Joint Photographic Experts Group in 1992. It uses lossy compression that discards fine detail the eye is unlikely to notice, which keeps photos small enough for the web, email and phone storage. It handles smooth gradients and natural scenes well, but sharp text, line art and flat colours pick up visible blocky or fuzzy artefacts. JPEG has no transparency and no animation, and every re-save loses a little more quality. Every browser, phone, camera and image editor can open it.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- No
- Animation
- No
- Introduced
- 1992 · Joint Photographic Experts Group
A CDR file only opens in CorelDRAW, so designers and print shops turn it into a JPG whenever a client, a marketplace or a chat app just needs to see the artwork.
Read the table along a row: the width in inches times the Resolution gives the width in pixels. An A4 flyer at 300 DPI becomes 2480 × 3508 px, which looks sharp on paper and is several megabytes as a JPG. The same flyer at 150 DPI is a quarter of the pixels and plenty for a WhatsApp preview. If an upload form caps the size in KB, convert first and then shrink with compress image.
Colors can stay original or switch to grayscale or monochrome, useful for checking a one-color screen-print or engraving design before it is made.
When JPG is the right output for a CDR, and when it is not
JPG works for
- Client approval over chat or email
- Marketplace and social media previews
- Quick proofs on an office printer
- Attaching a design to a quote or invoice
Pick another format for
- Print-ready files (send PDF)
- Logos on colored backgrounds (use PNG)
- Cutting or engraving (use SVG or DXF)
- Anything someone will edit later
CDR to JPG questions
How can I look at a CDR file on my phone?
Phones have no CorelDRAW viewer, and most file apps show a CDR as an unknown document. Converting it to JPG gives you an ordinary picture that opens in the gallery and can be forwarded in any chat app.
What DPI should I use for a CDR to JPG export?
Use 96 to 150 DPI for screens, chats and marketplace photos, and 300 DPI for anything that will be printed or zoomed into. The pixel size is the page size in inches times the DPI, so a large banner at 600 DPI quickly becomes a very heavy file.
Why do the colors in the JPG look duller than in CorelDRAW?
Print designs are often built in CMYK, and a JPG for screens is RGB, so colors outside the CMYK range look flatter or shift slightly. Neon and very saturated tones change most. For a print shop, send a PDF rather than a JPG; see CDR to PDF.
Can the background be transparent instead of white?
Not in JPG; the format has no transparency, so empty areas come out white. Convert with CDR to PNG when the logo has to sit on a colored website header or a video.
Why won't a CDR from a newer CorelDRAW open in my older version?
CorelDRAW is not forward compatible: a file saved by a new release often refuses to open in an older one. The designer can use Save As and pick an older version in the dialog, or you can simply view the JPG here.
