HPGL File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .hpgl
MIME Type application/vnd.hp-HPGL
File Type Vector Graphic File
Developed by Hewlett-Packard
Initial Release 1977
Primary Usage Instruction file for plotters
Character Encoding ASCII
Compression None (Typically uncompressed)
Structure Series of ASCII command sequences
Plotter Control Commands IN, SP, PD, etc.
Coordinate System Absolute or Relative
Command Syntax Two-letter mnemonic followed by parameters
Graphical Primitives Points, Lines, Polygons, Circles, Arcs
File Creation Programs AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator (with a plugin), CorelDRAW
Editing Programs HPGL Viewer, Inkscape (with a plugin)
Maximum Resolution Device-dependent
Color Support Depends on the plotting device
Multi-page Support No
Binary Format Variant HPGL/2
Scalability High (As a vector format)
Common Alternatives SVG, DXF