EMZ files are but compressed or zipped EMFs (Enhanced Metafiles). Enhanced Metafiles are image files that contain a recorded sequence of Windows Graphic Device Interface functions. These functions are important for Windows programmers since it provide them basic drawing functionality for their codes. Anything that can be drawn using the GDI functions can be saved or stored in an EMF file.
These EMF files are then compressed using the most common and rather popular zipping utility GZIP. Thus, some users would just opt to rename the EMZ file extension to GZ (for GZIP) and they can then decompress the file with any decompressing utility that supports GZIP files. There are times that the EMF files contained in the EMZ files will be truncated though upon compression and so it may only have the EM file extension instead of EMF. Users will only need to add “F” at the end to make the file usable and open it using the applications that can open EMF files.
Several programs are found to be able to open EMF files. Some of which are Windows Picture and Fax Viewer – both installed in Window XP operating systems and later versions, Microsoft Office Visio and many other third-party applications that offers support for Enhanced Metafiles format. Some users also use the copy-paste method by copying the EMF file to the OS’ clipboard and then pasting it into an MS Word document. This method will display the content of the EMF file and then the user can then save the content separately even in a different image format.
Below are the programs that can open EMZ/EMF files:
| Mac OS | XnView |
| Windows | Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Visio 2010 Logipole Konvertor XnView |
| Linux | XnView |
