What is the OTPU file format?
An .otpu file is a graph template created by OriginLab's Origin, the data analysis and graphing software used across science and engineering. The name stands for Origin Unicode Graph Template. It arrived with Origin 2018 as the Unicode (UTF-8) version of the older .otp template, part of a family of u-suffixed formats that also includes .opju and .oggu.
A template stores the look of a graph, not the numbers behind it. Inside an .otpu file you get page size and layer count, plot types and colors, data labels, axis settings, tick and axis labels, text annotations, Long Name and Short Name presets, and a preview image. It can also hold cloneable-template information and LabTalk scripts that run while plotting. Because the data stays separate, you can point the same template at a fresh dataset and get a matching figure every time.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWOTPU is a proprietary Origin template that holds formatting settings and can carry embedded LabTalk scripts. It is not a general-purpose executable, but because templates may include plotting scripts, only open files from sources you trust and keep Origin updated.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open OTPU files
Windows3 apps
OriginLab Origin
Paid Install Origin, then choose File > Open and set the file type to Origin Template (*.otpu) to load the template, or pick it from the plot template gallery to apply it to selected data.
OriginLab OriginPro
Paid Open OriginPro and use File > Open (file type Origin Template *.otpu) or the graph template menu to create a new graph from the saved settings.
Origin Viewer
Free Use the free Origin Viewer to inspect Origin project and window files; note it is aimed at viewing projects and graphs rather than editing standalone template files. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | UTF-8 (Unicode-compliant text metadata within a proprietary binary container) |
| Container | Proprietary OriginLab template container |
| Compression | Not documented |
| Typical size | Tens of kilobytes to a few megabytes, depending on layers and embedded preview |
| Structure | Stores page and layer properties (page size, layer count, text and object scaling), plot-style information (plot types, colors, data labels, data plot style holders), axis dialog settings, tick and axis labels, annotations, Long Name/Short Name presets, a preview image, and optional cloneable-template info and LabTalk plotting scripts. It does not store the underlying data. |
| Integrity | Not documented |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Notes | OTPU is the Unicode (UTF-8) counterpart of the older .otp graph template, part of the Unicode-compliant file series added in Origin 2018. It supersedes .otp for saving graph templates and is required, alongside other 'u' formats, when a book exceeds 255 sheets. Applying the template to data produces a graph window saved as .oggu. |
| Released | 2018 |
| Specification | docs.originlab.com |
OTPU conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about OTPU files.
