ART File

What are ART files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an ART file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your ART files.

What is an ART file?

ART files have multiple uses, and AOL ART Bitmap is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

AOL ART Bitmap File

Graphcis format using Johnson-Grace compression.

How to open ART files

Important: Different programs may use files with the ART file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your ART file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different ART openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 20, 2026

All known file formats using extension .ART

While AOL ART Bitmap File is a popular type of ART-file, we know of 9 different uses of the .ART file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Autodesk ArtCam 3D Model

The Autodesk ArtCAM Model file with extension .ART is the native file format used by the (now discontinued) ArtCAM software. It contains a full project model including any bitmap images, vector artwork, 3D reliefs, and machining (toolpath) data.

An .ART file is generated when a user saves their work in ArtCAM via File → Save (or Save As), capturing everything created in a session: 2D artwork (bitmaps or vectors), relief layers (front/back) built from images or imported 3D mesh/surface models, and any CNC toolpaths defined for manufacturing. Models are often edited by importing 3D geometry (STL, OBJ, DXF etc.), creating bitmap layers from images, turning bitmaps into reliefs, organizing vector artwork into layers, and defining machining strategies.

Internally, .ART is a binary file format whose exact structure has not been publicly documented for developers. It is identified by distinctive byte signatures and internal text strings (for example at offset 0 it often begins with D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1, and around offsets 1024 - 1152 strings like "Root Entry", "Relief File", "Maximum height range", "VectorDocument", "ColourTable", and "ImageData" appear).

ART opener for Windows

We have identified 2 ART openers that are compatible with this specific type of ART file.

Bernina Artista Embroidery File

Bernina Artista Embroidery File (.ART) is the native editable design file format used by Bernina's "ARTista" and later Embroidery Software such as ARTlink and BERNINA Software V9. It stores all of the information needed to create, view, change, save and export embroidery designs before they are stitched.

Files in this format are created inside BERNINA's software and allow users to draw/design patterns, assign thread colors, set stitch types, layout the design and apply effects. Once finalized, the design is exported from the .ART format into a machine-readable 'stitch' format (such as EXP for Bernina machines or PES, DST etc. for others) before being embroidered. ART files are graded depending on how much editable/vector/object-outline data they contain - Grade A files are fully editable with outlines, stitches, thread palettes, preview thumbnail, metadata, comments etc. Grades B, C and D have reduced or transformed data depending on how they were imported or converted via machine-stitch file formats.

ART files begin with a Microsoft OLE2/Compound File Binary (CFBF) header indicating that it uses a compound file structure for storage. Among its signatures are the magic bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at offset 0. Throughout the file it contains metadata labels such as "NUMBER OF STITCHES", "LONGEST STITCH IN DESIGN", "EMBROIDERY MACHINE NAME", "BERNINA", and others that describe design size, stitch count, thread changes, trims, object count, color changes etc.

Programs that open these ART files

We have identified 2 ART openers that are compatible with this specific type of ART file.

Designworks Sample

Designworks Sample is a graphics drawing format created by GST Software (later Greenstreet Software) for its Designworks/Designworks Draw software. It stores vector‐based artwork including shapes, lines, fills, text and layout data used in creating logos, posters, educational illustrations and similar graphic design work. The format serves as a native editable format - that is, users work with these files inside the Designworks drawing program to compose and adjust artwork.

Files are produced by the Designworks (and associated Draw/Design titles) suite and are read by the same software for editing, printing or export. As the format matured, newer versions wrapped the original binary artwork data inside a Microsoft OLE compound document container to improve compatibility, especially for embedding artwork in other applications. A built‐in preview thumbnail (typically a device‐independent bitmap) is often included so that the artwork may be quickly visualized without fully opening it in the editing program.

The format is identified by several internal markers: it begins with the signature bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at offset 0, typical of OLE compound files; it also contains ASCII strings such as "S'U'M'M'A'R'Y'I'N'F'O'R'M'A'T'I'O'N", "DESIGNWORKS 3.5 SAMPLE FILE", "P'R'E'V'I'E'W'.'D'I'B" and "GST TECHNOLOG" inside its structure.

Gerber Artwork File

Gerber Artwork File formats hold designs for printed circuit board (PCB) image layers, storing instructions that photoplotters or PCB fabrication machines follow to create layer artwork. They carry vector graphics commands for copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, or mechanical outlines, not photographic or bitmap data. These formats are created by PCB layout tools and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) systems.

These files are used in the workflow after designing a board layout: CAD software exports Gerber files (or artwork) in RS-274X (Extended Gerber) format; then fabrication or plotting tools read them to generate masks or films. The format replaced older variants (like RS-274-D), and includes mass parameters for apertures, embedded definitions, and metadata so that the file itself carries most of what the plotter needs.

Gerber RS-274X files are plain ASCII text. They consist of blocks of commands ending with an asterisk (). Commands define coordinates in X and Y, instructions to move, draw lines, flash apertures, draw arcs, or fill regions. Filenames ending in "art" often signify PCB artwork layers exported from CAD tools; content inside these files starts with header records such as "begin FILE IDENTIFICATION RECORD" and includes parameters like "FILE ORIGIN", "LAYOUT NAME", "FILM NAME", "GERBER RS274X" alongside other metadata lines starting with "G04".

At the start, block parameters called "mass parameters" appear between percent signs (%), such as format statements (for unit size, zero suppression etc.), film functions, layer polarity, or aperture definitions. After the header, coordinate function commands like G-codes and D-codes with coordinates form the image. The "G04" comment style lines provide human-readable metadata (e.g. "G04 LAYOUT NAME") and help identify the layer or date. These byte signatures (header keywords) are reliable identifiers.

Greenstreet Art Drawing

Greenstreet Art Drawing files store vector-based artwork created with GST / Greenstreet Draw (later Greenstreet Software's drawing suite). These images consist of graphical shapes, lines and text that users arrange and edit in the drawing program to produce illustrations, designs, clip-art or similar artwork. They preserve each element (vector shapes, paths, fills, text) so the image remains scalable and editable rather than being a simple raster bitmap.

GST Draw software writes these files. The format supports two variants. An "older" version is a proprietary binary file, while a "newer" version wraps that binary artwork data inside an OLE2 Compound Document container, to allow integration with and embedding by other Windows applications. In both versions a separate bitmap preview (a device-independent bitmap) is stored for thumbnails, in files named Preview.dib.

Files are identified internally by a signature: the ASCII string GST:ART at byte offset 16 in the binary artwork data stream (which in newer versions resides inside the "Contents" stream within the OLE container).

LogoArt Drawing

LogoArt Drawing files store vector graphic artwork created by WORKLab System Solutions GmbH's LogoArt program running under OS/2. These files serve as the native format for saving drawings composed of shapes, lines, text and fills, enabling scalable editing rather than fixed-pixel images.

The LogoArt program writes these Drawing files when a user saves a project in its workspace. Once saved, they can be reopened in LogoArt for further modifications - objects can be moved, resized, recolored, transformed and layered - then exported or printed as needed. The content is retained as vector/vector-shape data, so printed output can scale without loss of quality.

These files begin with a three-byte header signature: the ASCII sequence "MK0" (bytes 0x4D 0x4B 0x30) at the very start of the file.

Micrografx Crayola Art Studio Art File

Micrografx Crayola Art Studio Art File is a raster graphics format used by the Crayola Art Studio software from Micrografx to store digital artwork created by children. It captures a complete picture, including drawn strokes, filled shapes, clipart, and colors, in a format that preserves the image for re-editing later in that program. The artwork often includes simple tools like crayons, markers, brushes, paint fills, and predefined shapes or stamps. This format was written by Crayola Art Studio for Windows in the mid-1990s.

This file type is not intended as an exchange or printing standard; it is a proprietary project file for saving a user's evolving artwork so that edits - changing colors, moving clipart, erasing or re-drawing - can be made later in Crayola Art Studio. Once the work is finished or needs to be shared, users typically export or convert it into a standard image format - such as BMP, GIF, or JPEG - as the ART file is not broadly supported.

The format begins with a signature: the first two bytes are 0x49, 0x49 ("II") at offset 0, and there is a byte with value 0x01 at offset 3. These identifiers help distinguish this ART file from other unrelated formats that use the same extension.

The Office Publisher Graphics Art

The Office Publisher Graphics Art format stores graphic artwork created by the Office Publisher desktop publishing program (DOS version 1.x) developed by Print Tree / Laser Friendly. It was used on DOS-based systems for creating page layouts and combining text and images in documents meant for print. The artwork includes both vector drawing elements and layout graphics intended for high-resolution typeset or laser-output printers.

Files are produced during the publishing process by Office Publisher itself as part of a document's graphics component. Such files typically serve as embedded graphics or layout elements inside bigger page compositions, then are rendered by the same software or compatible systems when preparing for print output. The format does not appear often outside its original environment, and modern software rarely supports it, so such files are most useful in archival, migration or digital preservation work.

Files can be identified by specific byte-signatures near their start: the ASCII string ".OP.V1" at offset 0, followed by ".ART" at offset 8, and a 0x1A byte at offset 13. This signature is part of what distinguishes this format from other ART-named formats.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of ART files. Remember, different programs may use ART files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about ART file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.