CTR File

What are CTR files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CTR 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 CTR files.

What is a CTR file?

CTR files have multiple uses, and ChemDraw Template is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

ChemDraw Template

ChemDraw Template (.ctr) files are created by the ChemDraw application to store document layouts that users can reuse. They capture custom template content - such as pre-drawn chemical structures, reaction arrows, orbitals, annotations, colored boxes, captions, curves, and images - to appear in the template (tool) palettes for building or augmenting chemical drawings.

ChemDraw templates are produced when a user designs a template in the drawing area and then saves it via "Save As → ChemDraw Template" (or as a .ctp/.ctr file). These files are then accessed through ChemDraw's template-related menus, letting users open or insert template items into new or existing drawings. Sharing such a .ctr file involves copying it into the ChemDraw Items folder so it shows up with the built-in templates.

Files written in this format begin with the four ASCII bytes "CHMR" at offset zero.

How to open CTR files

We have identified one CTR opener that is compatible with this specific type of CTR file.

Programs that open ChemDraw Template files

Last updated: August 5, 2026

All known file formats using extension .CTR

While ChemDraw Template is a popular type of CTR-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .CTR file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

CorelTRACE Configuration

We know that one CTR format is CorelTRACE Configuration. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

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

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CTR files. Remember, different programs may use CTR 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 CTR file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.