Home › Guides › Convert .idraw to PDF
Guide
How to convert an .idraw file to PDF
Short answer: while the Graphic app still runs, open the drawing and
export it as PDF. Once it no longer runs, convert the .idraw file to SVG first,
then save a PDF from Affinity, Illustrator or a web browser.
Route 1: export from Graphic
If Graphic still starts on your Mac, open the drawing, use its export command and choose PDF. Do this one document at a time. On Apple silicon Graphic runs through Rosetta 2, and it is expected to stop opening from macOS 28, due in autumn 2027, so do not wait for the drawings that matter.
Route 2: via SVG, without Graphic
No app turns an .idraw file straight into a PDF without Graphic. The way
around it is to convert the drawing to SVG, an open vector format, and make the PDF from
there.
- Convert to SVG. Graphic iDraw Rescue Pro converts single drawings or whole folders on your Mac, with layers and text kept. See how to convert an .idraw file to SVG.
- Make the PDF in one of these ways:
- Affinity or Illustrator: open the SVG and export it as PDF. This gives you the most control over page size, colour and fonts.
- A web browser: open the SVG in Safari or Chrome, choose Print, and save as PDF from the print dialog. Quick, and free.
Check the fonts before you make the PDF. A PDF fixes the text in the typeface that is used at that moment. If a font the drawing needs is missing, the PDF keeps the substitute. Graphic iDraw Rescue lists every missing font before you convert.
PDF or SVG: which should you keep?
Keep both if you can. A PDF is good for sharing, printing and archiving a finished look. An SVG is better for working on the drawing later: its layers, shapes and text stay separately editable, and every browser can show it.
Questions
Can the Mac's Preview app make the PDF?
Preview cannot open .idraw files. Use a browser or a design app to turn the
SVG into a PDF, as above.
Can I make PDFs of many drawings at once?
The SVG step handles whole folders in one go. Turning many SVGs into PDFs is quickest with a design app's batch export, or one by one from the browser.
Try it on your own drawings
The free demo reads your .idraw files, lists missing fonts and saves a PNG
preview of every drawing, so you can see how your own work converts before you buy.
Graphic iDraw Rescue Pro writes the editable SVG files.
