What’s a SWF Converter?

Print anything with Printful



SWF is a file format for web design and animation. Adobe Flash is the most common converter for SWF files, but there are other options available for converting to and from SWF. Different converters have varying features and limitations.

SWF, which originally stood for “ShockWave Flash” and now stands for “Small Web Format” is a file format developed for a simple web design and animation tool in 1996. FutureWave® developers started distributing it in 1996 , but before the end of the year he had sold it to Macromedia®, the makers of ShockWave®, who renamed it Flash® and developed it into a full multimedia development environment. In 2005, Adobe® purchased Macromedia® and continued Flash® development with the working file extension called FLA (Flash Authoring) and native export extension for Internet viewing on Adobe® AIR software or Adobe® Flash® Player is still SWF. Additionally, Adobe® has published the Flash® specification, which allows anyone to create a Flash® player. A SWF converter is a file converter that converts one SWF file to a different file type or converts a different file type to a SWF file, although Adobe® states that the format was not intended to be used for interchanging graphics between different program changes.

The simplest and most obvious SWF converter for changing SWF to another file type is the Adobe® Flash® program. Instead of exporting a movie to SWF format, it can be exported as a QuickTime® (MOV) file, as an animated GIF, or as a sequence of GIF, JPEG, PICT, or PNG files. For a single image, you can export it as a GIF, JPEG, PICT, PNG, or an Adobe® Illustrator® (AI) file. However, not everyone who wants to convert SWF files has Flash®, and not everyone wants to convert SWF files to another format. The fact that an estimated 98% of desktop users whose computers are connected to the Internet and 800 million mobile and cell phone users have Flash® Player, is one reason why people who don’t have Flash® might want a SWF file converter.

There are several ways to classify SWF converter types. In general, they convert files only in one direction, i.e. some convert SWF files to a variety of other file types, such as DVD, MP4 and MOV, but do not convert in the other direction, while others only convert files to SWF, but not from. Some convert between SWF and FLV on one hand and just another file type, like AVI, on the other. Some don’t convert the latest Flash® compression, and some allow batch conversion, while others don’t. Editing features vary, and finally, some are free, while others are available for purchase.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content