CVI File

What are CVI files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CVI 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 CVI files.

What is a CVI file?

A .CVI file is a Canvas Image file.

Canvas Image File is a graphic file format used by the Canvas illustration and graphics-editing program developed by ACD Systems. It stores both vector objects (lines, curves, text, fills) and bitmap images (pixels, photographs), combining them in a single image document useful for technical illustration, diagrams, and designs. The format is especially used for images imported or linked into Canvas documents, often as proxies (lower-resolution previews) to speed up on-screen editing when high-resolution content is used.

Files of this type are written by Canvas when saving or exporting graphics in its internal "Canvas Image" mode. Canvas users working with complex or image-intensive documents may see this format used automatically when importing or placing large images, especially behind the option "Acquire as Proxy," which inserts a low-resolution version linked to the original image to improve performance.

Internal file identification includes certain fixed or repeated byte-signatures. One signature appears at offset 4 as the ASCII string "DAD5PROX" prefixed by bytes 0x44 0x41 0x44 0x35 0x50 0x52 0x4F 0x58 0x00. Other identifying strings within the file include "DAD5HACK," "H'''H," "8BIM," and "DAD5PROX" again.

How to open CVI files

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

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

Last updated: September 19, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

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