[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide:en:blog\u002Fclip-to-png":-1,"article-en-clip-to-png":3},{"slug":4,"title":5,"description":6,"date":7,"keyword":8,"tool":9,"html":10},"clip-to-png","How to Convert a CLIP File to PNG (Clip Studio Paint)","A .clip file is a Clip Studio Paint project, not an image. Here is how to export it as a PNG, plus free browser tools to resize and compress the result.","2026-09-07","clip to png","convert-image","\u003Cp>If someone sent you a \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> file — or you found one in your own art folder — you have probably already discovered that nothing will open it. Your photo viewer refuses it, Photoshop refuses it, and most "convert anything" websites either fail silently or hand you back a broken file. That is not a bug. A \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> file is not an image at all, and understanding that makes the fix obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What a .clip file actually is\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> is the project format for \u003Cstrong>Clip Studio Paint\u003C\u002Fstrong> (formerly Manga Studio). Like a \u003Ccode>.psd\u003C\u002Fcode> or a \u003Ccode>.ai\u003C\u002Fcode> file, it is a container that stores everything about your working document: every layer, layer folder, mask, vector line, text object, frame border, tone, ruler, and the canvas settings. It is a proprietary format owned by Celsys, and the specification is not public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That means there is no honest way for a browser-based converter to read it. An image converter can read PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and similar formats because those are open, documented image formats. A \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> file has to be \u003Cem>rendered\u003C\u002Fem> — the layers flattened, blend modes applied, vectors rasterized — and only Clip Studio Paint knows how to do that correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the real question isn't "which converter handles .clip" — it's "how do I export a PNG out of Clip Studio Paint."\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Exporting a .clip file to PNG in Clip Studio Paint\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>If you have the app (desktop or tablet):\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>Open the \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> file in Clip Studio Paint.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Go to \u003Cstrong>File → Export (Single Layer) → .png (PNG)\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Pick a folder and filename, then click \u003Cstrong>Save\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>In the export settings dialog, set \u003Cstrong>Output image\u003C\u002Fstrong> to include the layers you want. Leave \u003Cem>Draft\u003C\u002Fem> layers unchecked. If you want a transparent background, untick the paper\u002Fbackground layer in the Layer palette \u003Cem>before\u003C\u002Fem> exporting.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Under \u003Cstrong>Expression color\u003C\u002Fstrong>, choose \u003Cstrong>RGB color\u003C\u002Fstrong> for anything going online.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Confirm the size. Set \u003Cstrong>Output size\u003C\u002Fstrong> to 100% for a full-resolution export, or specify a width if you need something smaller.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>That's it — you now have a normal PNG that any app on earth can open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>If you don't have Clip Studio Paint\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>You have three realistic options:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Install the free trial.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It exports normally during the trial period, which is enough to convert a handful of files.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use Clip Studio Paint Debut\u003C\u002Fstrong> if it came bundled with a drawing tablet (many Wacom and XP-Pen tablets include a license).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ask the person who sent it\u003C\u002Fstrong> for a PNG or JPG export. This is usually the fastest path, and it also means they choose which layers are visible — which matters if the file contains sketch or reference layers they'd rather not share.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>An important note: files named \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> are sometimes not Clip Studio files at all. If the file is only a few kilobytes, it may be a clipping\u002Ftext file from another program. Check the size and where it came from before assuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What to do with the PNG once you have it\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Clip Studio exports tend to be huge — a full-resolution manga page or illustration can easily be 20–40 MB as a PNG, which is far too big to email or post. Once you have that PNG out, everything else can be done in your browser with no uploads:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Change the format.\u003C\u002Fstrong> PNG is great for line art and transparency, but if your piece is a full-colour painting with no transparent areas, JPG or WebP will be dramatically smaller. \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fconvert-image\">Convert the image\u003C\u002Fa> to whatever fits.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shrink the file.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Run it through \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fcompress-image\">compress\u003C\u002Fa> to bring a 30 MB export down to something a website or email client will accept, without visibly damaging the artwork.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Resize for a platform.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Print-resolution canvases (350 dpi in Clip Studio is common) are wildly oversized for social media. \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fresize-image\">Resize\u003C\u002Fa> to the pixel dimensions you actually need.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Trim the canvas.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If you exported the whole page but only want one panel, \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fcrop-image\">crop\u003C\u002Fa> it.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Strip the metadata.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Exports can carry software and timestamp tags. \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fremove-metadata\">Remove metadata\u003C\u002Fa> before posting if you'd rather not share those details.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>All of these run entirely inside your browser on cutbg. Your artwork is never uploaded to a server, there is no account to create, and nothing is stored — which matters when the file is unpublished work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Quick summary\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>There is no legitimate \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> to PNG converter, online or offline, other than Clip Studio Paint itself, because \u003Ccode>.clip\u003C\u002Fcode> is a closed project format rather than an image. Export the PNG from the app (\u003Cstrong>File → Export (Single Layer) → .png\u003C\u002Fstrong>), then use free in-browser tools to convert, resize, crop, or compress the result to whatever your final destination needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",1791831495522]