PS to FIG Converter

PostScript to Xfig FIG format — free online tool

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Academic Tool

PS to FIG converts PostScript into Xfig drawings — the standard format for technical figures in academic publications.

Editable Output

FIG files are fully editable in Xfig. Modify shapes, labels, and layout from your converted PostScript graphics.

Online Conversion

Convert PS to FIG without installing Xfig first. Run the conversion in your browser and download the result.

How to convert PS to FIG

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

Choose fig or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

Let the file convert and you can download your fig file right afterwards

About formats

PS is the standard extension for files written in PostScript, the page description language created by Adobe Systems and first shipped in 1984 with the Apple LaserWriter. A PostScript file is a complete program that describes the precise appearance of a page — text, vector graphics, curves, fills, and even embedded raster images — using a stack-based interpreted language with full programming constructs. When sent to a PostScript-compatible printer or interpreter (such as Ghostscript), the program executes and produces rendered output. PostScript introduced cubic Bezier curves as the standard representation for smooth outlines, a mathematical model that became the foundation for virtually all subsequent vector graphics and font technology including PDF, SVG, and OpenType. The language also serves as a font format: Type 1 PostScript fonts encode glyph outlines as PostScript programs with hinting instructions for sharp rendering at low resolutions, while Type 3 fonts use the full language to define arbitrarily complex glyphs. One advantage is device independence — a PostScript file produces identical output whether rendered on a 300 dpi desktop printer, a high-resolution imagesetter, or a software rasterizer, because it describes shapes mathematically rather than as pixel grids. The human-readable text format provides another practical strength: PS files can be inspected, debugged, and modified with any text editor, and they can be generated programmatically by any software without requiring specialized libraries. PostScript files are widely handled by Ghostscript, Adobe Acrobat, preview applications, and numerous publishing and graphics tools.

Developer: Adobe Systems

Initial release: 1984

FIG is the native file format of Xfig, a free vector graphics editor for the X Window System, originally written by Supoj Sutanthavibul at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. The format uses a plain-text structure where each graphic object is described on one or more lines with numeric parameters specifying object type, coordinates, line properties, fill attributes, and depth ordering. FIG supports compound objects (groups), polylines, polygons, splines, arcs, ellipses, text strings, and imported bitmaps, each with configurable colors, line styles, arrow heads, and area fills. Files begin with a header line declaring the format version (currently 3.2), followed by a resolution specification and the object definitions. One advantage is exceptional simplicity — the entirely text-based format is trivially parsed, generated, and manipulated by scripts, making FIG popular as an intermediate format in automated diagram generation pipelines. The rich ecosystem of conversion tools is another strength: fig2dev exports FIG files to dozens of output formats including EPS, PDF, SVG, LaTeX picture environments, PSTricks, and TikZ. This made Xfig and FIG especially popular in academic and scientific communities, where authors generate publication-quality figures that integrate seamlessly with LaTeX documents. While graphical tools have evolved since the 1980s, FIG remains in use among researchers who value its scriptability, LaTeX integration, and well-documented format stability.

Developer: Supoj Sutanthavibul

Initial release: 1985

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PS to FIG?

FIG is the native format for Xfig. Converting PS to FIG lets you edit PostScript graphics in this popular technical drawing tool.

What is Xfig?

Xfig is a free vector graphics editor for Unix/Linux, widely used in academia for creating figures for papers and presentations.

What programs open FIG files?

FIG files open in Xfig, and can be converted to other formats using fig2dev for LaTeX, PDF, SVG, and EPS output.

Is PS to FIG free?

Free conversion is available at Convertio for all users. Premium accounts offer higher limits and priority processing.

Can FIG export to LaTeX?

Yes — fig2dev can export FIG drawings with LaTeX-formatted text, making it ideal for academic publications.

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Specific converters

PSD to FIG

JPG to FIG

PNG to FIG

EPS to FIG

AI to FIG

SVG to FIG

JPEG to FIG

WEBP to FIG

CDR to FIG

GIF to FIG

BMP to FIG

DXF to FIG

JFIF to FIG

AVIF to FIG

PS to FIG

HEIC to FIG

PLT to FIG

WMF to FIG

TIFF to FIG

SK to FIG

XCF to FIG

ICO to FIG

CR2 to FIG

CUR to FIG

DCM to FIG

DDS to FIG

DNG to FIG

DST to FIG

PCX to FIG

EXP to FIG

PS to FIG Quality Rating

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