What is the ODG file format?
Files with the .odg extension are vector graphic files used to store drawings, supported by programs based on LibreOffice Draw and Apache OpenOffice Draw. .odg files are created in XML and stored using the OpenDocument OASIS format - the same container shared by .odt (text documents), .ods (spreadsheets) and .odp (presentations). The component files of an .odg file, like all ODF-series documents, are contained within a ZIP archive compressed package.
In vector graphics, an image is defined with geometric shapes placed in a coordinate system - this enables lossless scaling of a given work, making the format well suited to logo projects or various types of illustrations.
.odg file structure
The ZIP package of every ODF document (including .odg) comprises at least five components:
- a single-line
mimetypefile containing the textapplication/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics- stored uncompressed at the very start of the archive so tools can identify the format without fully extracting it content.xml- vector graphic elements and basic information about stylesstyles.xml- extended style information (default values, named styles)meta.xml- document metadata (e.g. creation date, ODF version, author)settings.xml- application settings such as window size
The contents of any of these files can be inspected with a standard ZIP unpacking tool.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWODG is a plain ZIP+XML document with no executable code path of its own, so risk is low. The only real concern is macro abuse: like other office documents an ODG can carry embedded Basic macros, and LibreOffice asks before running them. Keep macro security on its default level and only enable macros from sources you trust.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEOpenDocument Graphics (Drawing)
DEVELOPEROASIS (OpenDocument Format); reference implementation LibreOffice Draw / Apache OpenOffice Drawsince 2005 (OpenDocument Format 1.0); ISO/IEC 26300 since 2006
CATEGORYVector Image Files
MIME TYPEapplication/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics
TYPEZIP-based XML package (OpenDocument)
STANDARDOpen · royalty-free
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
00010203
HEX
504B0304
ASCII
PK··
An ODG is a ZIP archive. In a correctly written ODF package the first stored entry is an uncompressed "mimetype" file whose bytes "application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics" begin at offset 30, which reliably distinguishes ODG from a plain ZIP.
Programs that open ODG files
Windows2 apps
LibreOffice Draw
Open-source Install LibreOffice, then double-click the ODG - it opens in Draw. Use File > Export As to save PDF/PNG. 
Apache OpenOffice Draw
Open-source Open with OpenOffice Draw; still works but development is largely stalled - prefer LibreOffice. 
macOS1 app
Linux2 apps
Calligra (Karbon / Stage)
Open-source KDE office suite; imports ODG with partial fidelity. Use only if LibreOffice is unavailable.
Web1 app
Collabora Online / LibreOffice-based cloud
Freemium Upload the ODG to a Collabora/Nextcloud Office instance to view and edit in the browser. Technical details
deep spec| Container format | ZIP archive (PkZip-compatible); first entry must be an uncompressed `mimetype` file |
| Format identification | `application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics` string begins at byte offset 30, enabling format detection without full extraction |
| Magic bytes | `50 4B 03 04` ("PK") at offset 0 - standard ZIP local file header signature |
| MIME type | `application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics` |
| Primary markup | XML (UTF-8 encoded), distributed across `content.xml`, `styles.xml`, `meta.xml` and `settings.xml` |
| Drawing model | SVG-compatible geometric primitives: paths, rectangles, ellipses, connectors, text frames and groups |
| Multi-page support | A single `.odg` file can contain multiple named drawing pages |
| Layer system | Named drawing layers with per-layer visibility and lock states, defined in `content.xml` |
| Embedded resources | Raster bitmaps and linked or embedded objects stored as sub-entries within the ZIP package |
| Master pages | Reusable master drawing pages (analogous to presentation slide masters) defined in `styles.xml` |
| Color and effects | RGB fills, gradient fills, transparency and drop-shadow effects supported natively |
| Digital signatures | Optional XML digital signatures stored in `META-INF/documentsignatures.xml` |
| Flat XML variant | `.fodg` stores identical content as a single uncompressed XML file with no ZIP wrapper |
| Macro scripting | Optional embedded macros (LibreOffice Basic or Python) stored in the ZIP's `Basic/` sub-directory |
| Released | 2005 (OpenDocument Format 1.0); ISO/IEC 26300 since 2006 |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | docs.oasis-open.org |
ODG conversions
Possible
.ODG .PDFGUIDE
Yes -- open the ODG in LibreOffice Draw (free) and choose File > Export As > Export as PDF.
How to convert
.ODG .DXFGUIDE
LibreOffice Draw can export ODG to DXF directly - use File > Export, choose DXF, then check the result…
How to convert
.ODG .SVGGUIDE
LibreOffice Draw exports ODG to SVG directly - use File > Export, choose SVG, and the result keeps shapes…
How to convert
.ODG .JPGGUIDE
Yes, ODG can be converted to JPG - open the file in LibreOffice Draw (free) and use File > Export As > JPG.
How to convert
.ODG .PNGGUIDE
Yes, ODG converts to PNG -- open the file in LibreOffice Draw (free) and use File > Export As > Export As…
How to convert
.ODG .TIFGUIDE
Yes - open the ODG in LibreOffice Draw and use File > Export As > TIFF to get a high-resolution raster file.
How to convert
Not possible
Community Q&A
asked by users
C
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an ODG file?
Install the free LibreOffice suite and double-click the file - it opens in LibreOffice Draw on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Can Microsoft Office open ODG files?
No. Word, PowerPoint and Visio do not support ODG. Open it in LibreOffice Draw and export to PDF, PNG or SVG to use it in Office.
How do I convert ODG to PDF?
Open the file in LibreOffice Draw and choose File > Export As > PDF. Vectors are preserved, so the PDF stays sharp at any zoom.
What program creates ODG files?
LibreOffice Draw (and the older Apache OpenOffice Draw). It is their native drawing format, part of the OpenDocument standard.
ODG vs ODP - what's the difference?
ODG is a single drawing canvas (diagrams, posters); ODP is an OpenDocument presentation (slides). Both are ODF formats but for different tasks.
Can I open an ODG online without installing anything?
Yes - upload it to a Collabora Online / Nextcloud Office instance, or convert it with an online converter, to view it in the browser.
References
1ISO/IEC 26300 - Open Document Format for Office Applicationswww.iso.org
2OASIS - OpenDocument Format v1.3 specificationdocs.oasis-open.org
