FIG to JIF Converter

Browser-based FIG to JIF — no software needed

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Seamless Conversion

Move from FIG to JIF in seconds — Convertio handles the format translation so your diagrams arrive intact.

Browser Freedom

Use whichever browser you prefer — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. The converter runs the same everywhere.

Private and Secure

Uploaded files are deleted right after conversion. Results are purged within 24 hours — your data stays confidential.

How to convert FIG to JIF

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose jif or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your jif file right afterwards

About formats

FIG is the native file format of Xfig, a free vector graphics editor for the X Window System, originally written by Supoj Sutanthavibul at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. The format uses a plain-text structure where each graphic object is described on one or more lines with numeric parameters specifying object type, coordinates, line properties, fill attributes, and depth ordering. FIG supports compound objects (groups), polylines, polygons, splines, arcs, ellipses, text strings, and imported bitmaps, each with configurable colors, line styles, arrow heads, and area fills. Files begin with a header line declaring the format version (currently 3.2), followed by a resolution specification and the object definitions. One advantage is exceptional simplicity — the entirely text-based format is trivially parsed, generated, and manipulated by scripts, making FIG popular as an intermediate format in automated diagram generation pipelines. The rich ecosystem of conversion tools is another strength: fig2dev exports FIG files to dozens of output formats including EPS, PDF, SVG, LaTeX picture environments, PSTricks, and TikZ. This made Xfig and FIG especially popular in academic and scientific communities, where authors generate publication-quality figures that integrate seamlessly with LaTeX documents. While graphical tools have evolved since the 1980s, FIG remains in use among researchers who value its scriptability, LaTeX integration, and well-documented format stability.
Initial release: 1985
JIF is an alternate file extension for JPEG images, referring to the JPEG Interchange Format — the raw data format defined within the JPEG standard (ISO/IEC 10918-1) itself, as distinct from the JFIF file format wrapper that later became the de facto standard. In practice, JIF files encountered today contain standard JPEG-compressed image data and are functionally identical to .jpg or .jpeg files — the extension is simply a less commonly used variant that some applications, operating systems, or file management tools have employed over the years. The underlying JPEG compression uses the discrete cosine transform (DCT) to convert 8x8 pixel blocks into frequency coefficients, quantizes those coefficients using configurable quality tables, and applies Huffman or arithmetic entropy coding to produce the compressed bitstream. JPEG supports 8-bit grayscale, 24-bit YCbCr color, and 32-bit CMYK color modes, with quality settings that range from near-lossless at high quality factors to aggressive compression at low factors. The format remains the most widely used photographic image standard, accounting for the vast majority of photographs on the web, in digital cameras, and in mobile devices. One advantage of the JIF extension is its direct reference to the JPEG standard's own interchange format terminology, providing technical clarity in contexts where precise format identification matters. Universal compatibility ensures that JIF files open without issue in every browser, image viewer, photo editor, and operating system — the content is standard JPEG regardless of whether the extension reads .jif, .jpg, .jpeg, or .jfif. The format is handled by all image processing tools, from Adobe Photoshop and GIMP to command-line utilities like ImageMagick.
Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FIG to JIF?

Xfig diagrams in FIG format are invisible to most software. Converting to JIF turns them into universally displayable images.

What opens JIF files?

You can open JIF files with most image viewers and browsers treat JIF as a standard JPEG — open with any photo application.

Do I need to know FIG format details to convert?

Not at all. Just upload your FIG file, select JIF, and Convertio handles the technical details automatically.

What happens to my FIG files after conversion?

Uploaded FIG files are deleted right after processing. Results remain available briefly, then are also removed from servers.

How long does FIG to JIF conversion take?

Most conversions complete in seconds. Cloud-based processing means speed depends on file size, not your hardware.

Does this converter handle complex FIG files?

Yes — Convertio processes FIG files with various elements including splines, arcs, text objects, and embedded images.