Why will my PLT file not open?

".plt" is used by other programs too: some cutters write their own formats, Gerber plotters use a different language, and some printer drivers write PCL raster data, a picture of the page rather than pen moves. This page reads HP-GL and HP-GL/2 vector plots, which most CAD programs and cutters write.

How do I convert PLT to DXF or PDF?

Open it here and press DXF or PDF. The DXF holds every line as a polyline in millimetres, one layer per pen, for AutoCAD, LibreCAD, LightBurn or cutter software; the PDF is the drawing at its real size, sharp at any zoom.

Is my plot file uploaded anywhere?

No. It is read and drawn by your browser.

Stays on your computer How this works

Free HP-GL viewer for PLT plot files

Open an HP-GL or HP-GL/2 plot file (.plt, .hpgl) from CAD, a plotter or a cutter, see it pen by pen, and save it as SVG, PDF, PNG or DXF - entirely in your browser

Drag & drop a .plt or .hpgl plot file here, or browse

HP-GL · HP-GL/2 · from AutoCAD, plotters and cutters · nothing is uploaded

About this HP-GL viewer

HP-GL is the language CAD programs speak to pen plotters, wide-format printers and vinyl, laser and plasma cutters: a .plt file is a drawing turned into pen movements. CAD programs "print to file" as .plt, cutters and sign shops pass them around, and old archives are full of them - but nothing on a modern computer opens them, and they cannot be checked without sending them to the machine.

This page reads the plot in your browser - the original HP-GL and HP-GL/2, including the compact encoded lines AutoCAD writes and the printer-job wrapper around them - and draws it at its real size, each pen in its own colour. Switch pens off to see one at a time, and save the drawing as SVG to edit, PDF to print, PNG, or DXF for CAD and cutter software. Nothing is uploaded. It is free to use, with no account and no upload limit, and it runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and while the page stays open, a feature you have already used keeps working offline.

What you can do

Open .plt and .hpgl files in HP-GL and HP-GL/2, from AutoCAD, other CAD programs, plotters and cutters
See the drawing at its real size in millimetres, with lines, circles, arcs, rectangles and labels
Show or hide each pen, in the colours and widths the file sets
Save it as SVG to edit in Inkscape or Illustrator, or as a vector PDF to print
Save it as DXF for CAD, laser and vinyl cutter software, one layer per pen
Save it as a 300 dpi PNG

How to open a PLT file

Drop the .plt or .hpgl file onto the page.
Check the drawing and its size; switch pens on and off.
Save it as SVG, PDF, PNG or DXF.

Questions

Why will my PLT file not open?: ".plt" is used by other programs too: some cutters write their own formats, Gerber plotters use a different language, and some printer drivers write PCL raster data, a picture of the page rather than pen moves. This page reads HP-GL and HP-GL/2 vector plots, which most CAD programs and cutters write.
How do I convert PLT to DXF or PDF?: Open it here and press DXF or PDF. The DXF holds every line as a polyline in millimetres, one layer per pen, for AutoCAD, LibreCAD, LightBurn or cutter software; the PDF is the drawing at its real size, sharp at any zoom.
Is my plot file uploaded anywhere?: No. It is read and drawn by your browser.

To open DWG or DXF drawings, use the DWG Viewer; for G-code from CNC machines and 3D printers, the G-code Viewer.