FreeHand

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(Sample Files)
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|formattype=electronic
 
|formattype=electronic
 
|subcat=Graphics
 
|subcat=Graphics
|extensions={{ext|fh9}}, {{ext|fh10}}, {{ext|fh11}}, others
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|extensions={{ext|fh3}}, {{ext|fh4}}, {{ext|fh5}}, {{ext|fh7}}, {{ext|fh8}}, {{ext|fh9}}, {{ext|fh10}}, {{ext|fh11}}
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|type code={{Type Code|AGD1}}
 
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/303}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/304}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/53}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/544}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/545}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/546}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/547}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/400}}
 
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/303}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/304}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/53}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/544}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/545}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/546}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/547}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/400}}
 
|released=1988
 
|released=1988
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== Identification ==
 
== Identification ==
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Aldus FreeHand versions 1 & 2 were Macintosh only, so no official extensions are used.
  
For FreeHand 7, 8, and 9, the first four bytes of the file will spell (in [[ASCII]]), AGD2, AGD3, and AGD4 respectively. In FreeHand 10, the text "FreeHand10" is within the first 24 bytes. Some other versions possibly also have "FreeHand" followed by a version number somewhere in the early part of the file.
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For FreeHand 7, 8, and 9, the first four bytes of the file will spell (in [[ASCII]]), AGD2, AGD3, and AGD4 respectively. In FreeHand 10, the text "FreeHand10" is within the first 24 bytes. Some other versions possibly also have "FreeHand" followed by a version number somewhere in the early part of the file. Also in early FreeHand formats [[LZW]] compression was used, so some files may have "ALDUS LZW" for the first few bytes.
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* Freehand Version 1 - acf3
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* Freehand Version 2 - FHD2
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* Freehand Version 3 - FH31
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* Freehand Version 4 - AGD1
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* Freehand Version 5 - AGD1
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* Freehand Version 7 - AGD2
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* Freehand Version 8 - AGD3
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* Freehand Version 9 - AGD4
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* Freehand Version 10 - FreeHand10
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* Freehand Version 11 - FreeHand11
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==Sample Files==
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* [https://github.com/thorsted/pronom-research-week/tree/master/Freehand/Samples Freehand 1,2 & 4 Sample Files]
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* [https://archive.org/details/macromedia-freehand-graphics-studio-7 Freehand 7 Software & Sample Files]
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* [https://archive.org/details/Macromedia_Freehand_8.0.1_Macromedia_ZFHW801CD_1998 Freehand 8 Software & Sample Files]
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* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/freeHandDrawing/
  
 
== Programming libraries ==
 
== Programming libraries ==
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* [[Wikipedia:Adobe FreeHand|Wikipedia article]]
 
* [[Wikipedia:Adobe FreeHand|Wikipedia article]]
 
* [http://www.file-extensions.org/adobe-freehand-mx-file-extensions File extensions itemized]
 
* [http://www.file-extensions.org/adobe-freehand-mx-file-extensions File extensions itemized]
* [https://forums.adobe.com/thread/115280 Discussion of file format specs, or lack of same]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151028155956/https://forums.adobe.com/thread/115280 Discussion of file format specs, or lack of same (archived)]
 
* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/macromedia.freehand/g6bGwP-YYks More discussion of FreeHand files]
 
* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/macromedia.freehand/g6bGwP-YYks More discussion of FreeHand files]
  
 
[[Category:Adobe]]
 
[[Category:Adobe]]
 
[[Category:File formats with too many extensions]]
 
[[Category:File formats with too many extensions]]

Revision as of 14:33, 1 October 2021

File Format
Name FreeHand
Ontology
Extension(s) .fh3, .fh4, .fh5, .fh7, .fh8, .fh9, .fh10, .fh11
PRONOM x-fmt/303, x-fmt/304, x-fmt/53, fmt/544, fmt/545, fmt/546, fmt/547, fmt/400
Type Code AGD1
Released 1988

FreeHand (Adobe FreeHand, Macromedia FreeHand, Aldus FreeHand; it went through several owners) is a now-discontinued vector graphic editor for Windows and Mac. Its native file format is a proprietary one that does not appear to have ever been publicly documented; however, somebody apparently reverse-engineered it to create the libfreehand library to process it. As this library is open-source, examining the sources will probably give some insights into the file structure.

Files are found in a number of extensions (and, for Mac versions, often with no extension at all), but the most common extensions are 'fh' followed by a version number, such as .fh10 for FreeHand 10.

Contents

Identification

Aldus FreeHand versions 1 & 2 were Macintosh only, so no official extensions are used.

For FreeHand 7, 8, and 9, the first four bytes of the file will spell (in ASCII), AGD2, AGD3, and AGD4 respectively. In FreeHand 10, the text "FreeHand10" is within the first 24 bytes. Some other versions possibly also have "FreeHand" followed by a version number somewhere in the early part of the file. Also in early FreeHand formats LZW compression was used, so some files may have "ALDUS LZW" for the first few bytes.

  • Freehand Version 1 - acf3
  • Freehand Version 2 - FHD2
  • Freehand Version 3 - FH31
  • Freehand Version 4 - AGD1
  • Freehand Version 5 - AGD1
  • Freehand Version 7 - AGD2
  • Freehand Version 8 - AGD3
  • Freehand Version 9 - AGD4
  • Freehand Version 10 - FreeHand10
  • Freehand Version 11 - FreeHand11

Sample Files

Programming libraries

Links

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