What is the LINEA file format?
A .linea file is a drawing created with Linea Sketch, the sketching app built by The Iconfactory for iPhone and iPad. It is the app's native save format, and it holds everything about a single artwork in one package.
Despite the custom extension, a .linea file is a plain Zip archive. Rename it to .zip and any archive tool will open it. Inside you find one .png image per drawing layer, a thumbnail used for previews, and a metadata record that stores the canvas size, layer order and blend modes. A file can also carry annotation notes and a time-lapse recording of the session. Because the layers are stored as raster PNG images, a .linea file contains pixels, not editable vector paths.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .linea file is a Zip container holding PNG images and metadata, with no scripts or executable code, so it carries no inherent execution risk. The only caution is standard Zip handling: unpack files from unknown sources with a trusted archive tool.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open LINEA files
Windows1 app
7-Zip
Open-source Change the extension to .zip and open it in 7-Zip to pull out the PNG layer images, thumbnail and metadata for use in other software. 
macOS2 apps
The Unarchiver
Free Rename the file to .zip and open it with The Unarchiver to extract the individual PNG layers, thumbnail and metadata. 
Linea Link
Free Run the free Linea Link companion app to browse iCloud-synced sketches, preview them and export each .linea drawing to PNG, PSD, TIFF or PDF. 
Linux1 app
unzip
Open-source Copy the file to a .zip name and run unzip file.zip to extract the layer PNGs and metadata from the command line.
Linea Sketch
Freemium Install Linea Sketch on an iPhone or iPad and open the .linea file to view and fully edit every layer, tool and blend mode. Technical details
deep spec| Container | Zip archive (uncompressed or deflate-compressed entries) |
| Encoding | Binary Zip package holding PNG layer images, a thumbnail, JSON/plist-style metadata, optional notes, and optional time-lapse video |
| Byte order | Little-endian (Zip local file headers) |
| Compression | Zip (deflate); the raster layers are themselves PNG-compressed |
| Structure | Each drawing is stored as a directory tree zipped into a single .linea package: one PNG per visible layer, a composite thumbnail preview, a metadata record describing canvas size, layer order, blend modes and tool history, plus optional annotation text and a recorded time-lapse movie. |
| Integrity | Per-entry CRC-32 checksums supplied by the Zip format |
| Platforms | iOS, iPadOS, macOS |
| Typical size | Hundreds of kilobytes to tens of megabytes depending on canvas resolution, layer count and whether a time-lapse video is embedded |
| Notes | Renaming a .linea file to .zip lets any archive utility extract the component files. The layers are flat PNG raster images, so a .linea file stores pixels rather than editable vector strokes. |
| Released | 2016 |
LINEA conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about LINEA files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a .linea file?
.zip and unpack it.Can I open a .linea file on Windows?
.zip and extract it with 7-Zip to recover the PNG layer images inside.How do I convert a .linea file to PSD?
Why is my .linea file actually a Zip archive?
.zip exposes those parts.
