CDR to PDF Converter
A CDR file only opens properly in CorelDRAW, which most clients, printers and coworkers do not own. Turn the drawing into a PDF that any browser, phone or print workflow can open, with the shapes still sharp at any zoom.
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 CorelDRAW file
Drop one or more .cdr files onto the upload area. Templates (.cdt) and Corel exchange files (.cmx) are accepted too, up to 20 files of 95 MB each.
- 2
Keep the page as designed
Page size is set to the size stored in the document and the background to white. Switch Colors to Grayscale or Monochrome under Advanced settings only if the PDF is meant for a black-and-white proof.
- 3
Convert and send
Press Convert to PDF and download the file, or the ZIP if you uploaded several drawings. Uploads are deleted from the server after 30 minutes.
How do I convert CDR to PDF without CorelDRAW?
Upload the .cdr file, leave Page size on the document's own size and press Convert to PDF. Shapes stay vector, the page keeps its dimensions, and anyone can open the result.
Why nobody else can open your CorelDRAW file
Corel released the first CorelDRAW in 1989, and the CDR format has been proprietary ever since. Corel has never published a full specification, so Adobe Illustrator, macOS Preview, Windows and every phone treat a .cdr file as unknown. Sign makers and packaging studios still work in CorelDRAW, which is why CDR files keep landing in inboxes where nobody can open them.
The internal structure also changed over time. Older versions wrote a RIFF-based binary file; starting with CorelDRAW X4 in 2008 the CDR became a ZIP container holding the drawing data and a preview image. Open-source readers such as libcdr, used by LibreOffice Draw and Inkscape, reverse-engineered both generations, but each new CorelDRAW release can add features they do not yet understand.
A PDF solves the sharing problem. It is an ISO standard (ISO 32000), it keeps vector paths as vectors, and it opens in every browser. Clients can approve a logo on their phone, and print shops can drop it straight into their imposition software.
Prepare the CDR file before converting
Convert text to curves
Select all text and use Convert to Curves (Ctrl+Q) in CorelDRAW. The letter shapes become paths, so a missing font can no longer change the layout.
Save for an older version
In the Save As dialog, set Version to an older release such as X7 or 2017. Older structures are the ones third-party readers parse most reliably.
Add bleed to the page
If the job will be trimmed, extend background art past the edge and enlarge the page by the bleed (often 3 mm, or 1/8 in in the US). The PDF page follows the document page.
| from ↓ · to → | SVG | PNG | JPG | EPS | CDR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDR | CDR to PDF: yes | CDR to SVG: yes | CDR to PNG: yes | CDR to JPG: yes | CDR to EPS: yes | – CDR to CDR: no |
| CDT | CDT to PDF: yes | CDT to SVG: yes | CDT to PNG: yes | CDT to JPG: yes | CDT to EPS: yes | CDT to CDR: yes |
| CMX | CMX to PDF: yes | CMX to SVG: yes | CMX to PNG: yes | CMX to JPG: yes | CMX to EPS: yes | CMX to CDR: yes |
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
Portable Document Format
PDF was created by Adobe in 1993 and became the open ISO 32000 standard in 2008. It fixes text, fonts, images and layout so a document looks the same on every screen and printer. PDFs can contain forms, signatures, links, attachments and searchable text, and the PDF/A variant is used for long-term archiving. The fixed layout makes PDFs hard to edit, and scanned PDFs contain only images unless OCR is applied. Every browser and operating system can open them.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- No
- Introduced
- 1993 · Adobe
A CDR file is unreadable for anyone without CorelDRAW, so designers convert it to PDF the moment artwork leaves the studio, whether it goes to a client for approval, a sign maker or a print shop.
CDR to PDF settings: page size, colors and background
Page size starts on the size stored in the document, which is right for a business card, a sticker sheet or a banner drawn at full scale. Pick A4, Letter or a larger A-size only when the drawing must be fitted onto a standard sheet, and set Orientation if Auto picks the wrong side.
Colors keeps the original palette. Grayscale suits a quick office proof; Monochrome turns every line black, which helps a cutter or engraver operator who only needs the outlines. Background stays white for printing or switches to transparent for placing the PDF over other artwork.
If the PDF must fit an email, run it through Compress PDF afterwards. Embedded photos make up most of the size; vector shapes weigh very little.
- Every font is converted to curves, or you accept a substitute font.
- Background images extend past the trim line when the piece will be cut.
- The PDF opens in a browser and the page size matches the order form.
- You kept the original CDR, since effects such as PowerClips do not come back from a PDF.
CDR to PDF questions
Can I open a CDR file without buying CorelDRAW?
Yes, for viewing. LibreOffice Draw and Inkscape import CDR through the open-source libcdr library, and converting to PDF here gives you a file every device opens. Editing the artwork with all of its CorelDRAW effects intact still needs CorelDRAW itself.
Why does the text in my PDF use a different font?
A CDR file normally refers to fonts by name instead of carrying them. If a font is not available during conversion, a similar one is substituted and line lengths shift. Converting the text to curves in CorelDRAW (Ctrl+Q) before saving locks the letter shapes so nothing can be replaced.
Which CorelDRAW versions can be converted?
Files saved by current releases and by the X-series going back many years are read. Very old files from the 1990s and files using brand-new effects are the most likely to lose details. If a file fails, open it in CorelDRAW and save a copy with Version set to an older release such as X7.
Will the PDF be accepted by a print shop?
For a proof or a simple job, usually yes, because the shapes stay vector and the page size is kept. Shops that require PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 with crop marks expect you to use CorelDRAW's own Publish to PDF, which is where those standards and marks are set.
Can I get a CDR file back from the PDF later?
Yes. CorelDRAW imports PDF directly, and the PDF to CDR converter rebuilds a CDR from it when you do not have CorelDRAW at hand. Expect the same flattening of effects in that direction.
More CorelDRAW conversions
- CDR to JPG ConverterConvert CorelDRAW CDR files to JPG without CorelDRAW. Set the resolution from 72 to 1200 DPI for screen previews or print proofs. Up to 20 files per batch.
- CDR to PNG ConverterTurn CorelDRAW CDR files into PNG images with a transparent background at 300 DPI or any resolution from 72 to 1200. No CorelDRAW install, 20 files at once.
- CDR to SVG ConverterConvert CorelDRAW CDR files to SVG that keeps curves, fills and real-world size, ready for Inkscape, Figma, browsers and cutting machines. No CorelDRAW needed.
- PDF to CDR ConverterConvert vector PDF artwork to CorelDRAW CDR for sign making, vinyl cutting and print edits. Shapes stay editable curves. Up to 20 PDFs per batch.
- AI to PDF ConverterConvert Adobe Illustrator .ai files to PDF free. Works with files saved as PDF compatible, which Illustrator has done by default since version 9. No account.
- EPS to PDF ConverterConvert EPS to PDF free: stock vectors, old logos and print artwork are rendered from their PostScript code, not the low-resolution preview. No account.