Figma, XD, and Sketch on Windows: What Actually Pastes?

On a Windows PC, very little pastes cleanly between Figma, Adobe XD and Sketch. Figma runs on Windows and can copy any selection as SVG or PNG. Adobe XD runs on Windows but is in maintenance mode. Sketch's editor is a Mac app, so Sketch content reaches a Windows PC through Figma's .sketch import, Sketch's web app, or files someone exports for you. The route that works is SVG or PNG, as a file or copied with Figma's Copy as SVG.

Which apps run on Windows

Adobe has put XD in maintenance mode, which means no new features. It's no longer a sensible place to start new work, so treat existing .xd files as something to export from while you still have a working install.

What survives a copy between design tools

Each app's own objects (components, auto layout, prototype links, styles) live only inside that app. When you copy between tools, what arrives is whatever common format the source put on the clipboard: usually SVG markup, a bitmap, or both. Affinity on Windows lets you pick which of those to paste; see Affinity's Paste Special.

Figma recommends SVG for moving work between design tools because it's lossless. Two caveats from Figma's help: when you paste SVG into Figma, marker and pattern elements aren't imported, and a pasted SVG is a set of vector layers, not a component.

SVG or PNG: which survives the clipboard? explains why SVG keeps paths but loses app-specific structure.

Opening Sketch files on a Windows PC

You can't run the Sketch editor on Windows, but you still have options:

1. Import into Figma. Figma's file browser imports .sketch files directly. Check the result layer by layer; complex symbols and effects may need cleanup.
2. Use Sketch's web app. Sketch's documentation says you can export presets, slices, CSS and SVG code from any browser, which covers most hand-off needs.
3. Ask for exports. SVG for vectors, PNG for everything else.

Going the other way, Sketch's Mac app can open Figma .fig files. Sketch notes that this importer isn't available in the Mac App Store version, so the Mac user needs the version from Sketch's website.

Moving work out of Adobe XD

Figma's file browser doesn't import .xd files. To move an XD project:

1. Open the file in XD while you still have a working install.
2. Export each artboard you need: SVG for simple vector art, PNG for screens, PDF for review.
3. Drag the exports into Figma. Rebuild components and prototype flows there; no clipboard or export carries them over.

Third-party converters exist, but they aren't Adobe or Figma tools, and results vary. Check every layer after a conversion.

Why Windows clipboard history can't bridge the gap

Windows clipboard history (Win+V) stores only text, HTML and bitmaps, up to 4 MB each, and clears unpinned items on restart. It can hold a small PNG or SVG markup copied as text, but not a component or a vector object from any of these apps. For a mixed team, put shared assets in files and links, not in anyone's clipboard.

A simple rule set for mixed teams

1. The source of truth is one tool's file, usually Figma for a team with Windows users.
2. Assets move between tools as SVG or PNG files. For game engines, a Figma-to-Unity icon workflow shows how to export them at engine size.
3. .xd and .sketch files are one-time imports, not daily copy sources.
4. Clipboard history is for text, hex codes and quick bitmaps.
5. Shared UI elements become Figma components, not pasted copies. When Figma components replace copied assets explains when to switch.

When those exports go to developers, how to hand assets to a developer without Slack soup covers naming and delivery.

FAQ

Can I copy and paste from Adobe XD into Figma?

Not reliably. Export the artboards from XD as SVG or PNG and drag the files into Figma. Components and prototypes have to be rebuilt.

Can I open a Sketch file on Windows?

Not in Sketch itself. Import the .sketch file into Figma, or use Sketch's web app to inspect and export assets.

Why does Figma paste work in one place but not another?

The desktop app and the browser reach the Windows clipboard in different ways. Figma desktop vs Figma web: why paste behaves differently covers the fixes.

Related reading

• Figma Desktop vs Figma Web: Why Does Paste Behave Differently?
• How to Copy and Paste SVG as Vectors, Not Pixels
• When to Turn Copied Elements Into Figma Components
• Illustrator Clipboard Handling Settings: Which to Choose

Sources

• Copy assets between design tools (Figma) — Copy as SVG, SVG as lossless, dropped marker and pattern elements.
• Copy and paste objects (Figma) — Copy as PNG and paste behaviour.
• Import files to the file browser (Figma) — supported import types, including .sketch.
• Importing and exporting (Sketch) — .fig import in the Mac app, SVG code, exporting from the web app.
• XD is in Maintenance Mode thread (Adobe Community) — XD's maintenance-mode status.
• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — Win+V limits and formats.

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