A CDR file is a drawing created with CorelDRAW, a vector illustration and page layout design application included with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. It typically contains vector image data, such as lines, paths, and colored shapes, but may also include text, tables, and digital effects. The CDR format is commonly used for documents, such as brochures, tabloids, letters, advertisements, postcards, webpages, and web banners.
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite includes several apps, such as CorelDRAW and PHOTO-PAINT. Graphic designers and digital photographers commonly use the suite to create and edit artwork.
CDR is the primary format associated with CorelDRAW. When you save a graphic or document with CorelDRAW, the application saves it with a .cdr extension default.
If you want to save a CorelDRAW file as a template to replicate design and content, select File → Save as Template . CorelDRAW creates a .CDRT file when saving a template, which you can use as a starting point for creating new CDR files.
You can open a CDR file with the CorelDRAW application included with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (Windows and macOS). To open a CDR file with CorelDRAW, select File → Open .
You can also open CDR files with Corel PaintShop Pro (Windows), Adobe Illustrator (multiplatform), and Inkscape (multiplatform).
Various image editors, including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite and Adobe Illustrator, can convert CDR files to other image formats.
For example, CorelDRAW can convert CDR files to many formats, including the following file types:
