WMF to HRZ Converter

WMF to HRZ — slow-scan TV format, free online

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SSTV Compatible

Convert WMF to HRZ — the format designed for slow-scan television transmission in amateur radio applications.

Three-Step Simplicity

Upload WMF, choose HRZ, download the result. No technical setup or specialized knowledge required.

Secure File Processing

WMF uploads are deleted after conversion. HRZ downloads are automatically removed within 24 hours.

How to convert WMF to HRZ

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

WMF (Windows Metafile) is a vector graphics format created by Microsoft, introduced with Windows 3.0 in May 1990 as the platform's native format for recording and replaying graphical operations. A WMF file captures a sequence of GDI (Graphics Device Interface) drawing commands — lines, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, text, and bitmap blits — in the order they were issued, serializing screen or printer output into a replayable file. The format uses a 16-bit coordinate space and organizes records as a linear stream of function calls with their parameters, preceded by a header specifying the bounding rectangle and resolution. WMF became deeply integrated into the Windows ecosystem as the default format for clip art collections, Office document graphics, and clipboard vector interchange during the 1990s — Microsoft Office shipped with thousands of WMF clip art images that defined a visual era of desktop publishing. One advantage is pervasive compatibility: virtually every Windows application from the past three decades can render WMF content, making it one of the most widely supported vector formats in existence. The lightweight recording model is another strength — WMF files are compact and render quickly because they replay native system drawing calls rather than interpreting a complex graphics language. While 16-bit limitations and lack of transparency and Bezier curves led Microsoft to develop EMF as a 32-bit replacement, WMF files remain ubiquitous in legacy documents and across current Windows software.
Developer: Microsoft
Initial release: May 22, 1990
HRZ is a simple raster image format associated with slow-scan television (SSTV), a method of transmitting still images over radio frequencies used by amateur radio operators since the late 1950s when Copthorne Macdonald pioneered the technology. HRZ files store images at a fixed resolution of 256x240 pixels in raw RGB format, with each pixel represented as three bytes (red, green, blue) at 8 bits per channel, producing uncompressed files of exactly 184,320 bytes. The format has no header, no metadata, and no compression — the file is simply a sequential dump of raw pixel data in row-major order. This extreme simplicity reflects the format's origins in the amateur radio community, where SSTV images are transmitted as audio tones encoding luminance and chrominance values over narrow-bandwidth HF (shortwave) radio channels. The fixed 256x240 resolution corresponds to common SSTV transmission modes, and HRZ files serve as the digital capture or storage medium for received SSTV transmissions. One advantage is the format's zero-overhead structure: with no parsing, decompression, or metadata processing required, HRZ files can be read by any program capable of reading raw pixel data with known dimensions — a single function call in virtually any programming language. The format's connection to amateur radio SSTV culture is another notable aspect: HRZ files document a unique form of image communication where operators transmit photographs over thousands of miles using nothing but radio waves and audio encoding, a practice that continues today alongside digital modes. HRZ files can be opened by ImageMagick, GIMP, and specialized SSTV software.
Developer: SSTV Community
Initial release: 1985

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert WMF to HRZ?

HRZ is used in slow-scan television (SSTV) for amateur radio image transmission. Converting WMF to HRZ adapts your graphics for this niche use case.

What software handles HRZ files?

SSTV applications like MMSSTV, EasyPal, and some image viewers like IrfanView support the HRZ format.

What resolution does HRZ support?

HRZ uses a fixed 256x240 resolution at 256 colors — tailored for slow-scan television transmission requirements.

Is WMF to HRZ conversion free?

Free for standard use. Premium plans provide added capacity and speed for heavier workflows.

How long does processing take?

Just seconds. HRZ files are small and cloud servers handle the conversion rapidly.

Can I batch-convert WMF to HRZ?

Yes — upload several WMF files at once and Convertio processes them all to HRZ in a single batch.