We offer a number of resources to help you solve any problems you might encounter when using OmniGraffle. It's always a good thing to at least read the Known Issues, FAQ, and be familiar with what the documentation covers before sending mail to either the OmniGraffle-Users list or our support ninjas.
This is an incomplete list meant to cover the most commonly reported issues in the current version of OmniGraffle 5.
- Shapes with a miter corner set can export with a very large border around the shape.
- Software update is leaving the archived version or build behind regardless of the user preference.
- Some .nib files will not open at present.
- Obj-C 2 syntax support is coming in a future release.
- Some objects come in with a black fill when imported from Visio files.
- The Template Chooser can get lost in Spaces.
- Groups in Diagram Styles can be a bit hard to work with.
- A number of ColorSync issues persist.
- Line labels can lose their fill color when exporting to Visio XML.
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about OmniGraffle culled by our Support Team from the volumes of mail we receive. If you don't see your question here please feel free to ask our Support Ninjas. You may also want to check the forums to see if your question has been answered there.
- When are you going to release the next major version of OmniGraffle?
- Does OmniGraffle run on both the current Intel Mac hardware as well as older PowerPC hardware?
- Do you support import/export to Visio?
- I can't access the OmniGraffle help documentation. What do I need to do to fix this?
- Help! I upgraded/destroyed/forgot to back up my computer and lost my license! What can I do?
- You told me to upgrade my OmniGraffle, and now it doesn't work! What do I do now?
- Wow, this is the coolest application I've ever seen! Where's the version for Windows or Linux?
- Hey. I. Would. Like. To. Beta. Test. Omni. Graffle. Too?
- What should I do if I need to uninstall?
When are you going to release the next major version of OmniGraffle?
We've just released OmniGraffle version 5 and will be releasing regular fixes and improvements for this version. We're always planning and working on the next version of all our applications but we don't have a fixed date for the next release. Enjoy the current version, it's quite fresh!
Last Updated on March 2, 2008
Does OmniGraffle run on both the current Intel Mac hardware as well as older PowerPC hardware?
Yes. OmniGraffle is a Universal Binary, meaning that it will run natively in the Intel processor as well as PowerPC.
Last Updated on March 29, 2007
Do you support import/export to Visio?
OmniGraffle 5 Professional now imports Visio's proprietary binary file format (VSD) as well as importing and exporting Visio's XML document format, VDX. This is a pro-only feature, so the Standard version of OmniGraffle does not support import or export of Visio documents.
Last Updated on January 27, 2009
I can't access the OmniGraffle help documentation. What do I need to do to fix this?
To resolve your issue, you will need to delete the Help Viewer Preferences files (com.apple.[help,helpui,helpviewer].plist) from ~/Library/Preferences/ (where ~ is your home directory). This will reset Help Viewer and allow you to use OmniGraffle Help properly again. You may also wish to do the same to the Help Viewer cache (located at ~/Library/Caches/).
Last Updated on February 18, 2009
Help! I upgraded/destroyed/forgot to back up my computer and lost my license! What can I do?
Just visit the Lost Licenses page to retrieve it. If this does not work for you, please send email to sales@omnigroup.com or support@omnigroup.com.
Last Updated on February 18, 2009
You told me to upgrade my OmniGraffle, and now it doesn't work! What do I do now?
OmniGraffle 5 is a paid upgrade for users of OmniGraffle 2, 3 & 4. You can find out upgrade fee information at the Omni Store. You can download the latest versions using the following links:
Last Updated on March 4, 2008
Wow, this is the coolest application I've ever seen! Where's the version for Windows or Linux?
While nothing is impossible (with the possible exception of traveling faster than the speed of light), a Windows or Linux version of OmniGraffle would be highly improbable, as there's simply too much "under the hood" in OmniGraffle that's tied directly to the Cocoa API available only in Mac OS X.
Last Updated on March 29, 2007
Hey. I. Would. Like. To. Beta. Test. Omni. Graffle. Too?
The bestest, most easiest way to get your foot on the inside of OmniGraffle development is to sign up for our User List. Announcements, discussion, answers and generic banter may be found within the many threads of the User Mailing List, weaving itself into a tapestry of OmniGraffle goodness. Keep an eye peeled on our blog, The Omni Mouth as well, beta releases get announced there quite frequently.
Last Updated on February 18, 2009
What should I do if I need to uninstall?
Like most Mac OS X applications, our products can be uninstalled by simply dragging the icon to the trash. Once you empty the trash, the application is gone from your computer. Like Jeff Goldblum says, "There is no step three!".
Last Updated on July 13, 2009
OmniGraffle's online reference manual is available under its "Help" menu. You can read a copy of this same help here on our website.
The boxed version of OmniGraffle Professional also comes with a friendly little printed user guide so you could always give the manual that came with it a read to see if it helps you with your question. Due to high demand, and because we love you all so very much, we have posted a downloadable PDF version of this same manual so that even if you didn't buy OmniGraffle Professional in a box you can still enjoy this wonderful companion to the application! Just visit our download page to get your copy!
If your question isn't answered on the FAQ, in our Help files, or listed in our Known Issues section, our OmniGraffle users' mailing list is the fastest way to get help — in addition to Omni's support engineers, there are many knowledgeable users on this list, so questions are often answered within hours. You have to subscribe to the list to ask a question, but you can always unsubcribe once your curiosity is quenched. Searching the archives of the list can also be a valuable resource for finding the answers to your questions quickly.
Here are some general steps you can take to help troubleshoot the problem that you are having:
- To see if your particular preference settings are behind a problem, quit OmniGraffle and then set aside your preferences file which is located here:
/Users/<yourUserName>/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniGraffle.plist
Your Desktop is a good place to move it to. Once that file has been moved to a new location, start OmniGraffle again and see if your problem still exists. If not, then it's likely that the problem is being caused by one of your preference settings.
- If you are experiencing frequent crashes the most helpful thing you can do is to find a way to reproduce the problem. If you can consistently crash by performing a particular action or series of actions then please send us email according to the guidelines below.
Guidelines for Good Bug Reporting
If, after following the troubleshooting procedures above you still need to send us mail, help us address your message more quickly by providing the following information with your report:
- The version of Mac OS X that you are running, as well as any updates that have been applied (such as Security or Java updates).
- The version of OmniGraffle that you are using if you did not use Send Feedback to generate your message. This can be found by choosing About OmniGraffle from the OmniGraffle menu.
- A good description of the problem you are seeing — what happens versus what you'd expect to have happen or what happened in previous version of the software.
- Make note of any third-party 'haxies' that you have installed. Some examples are Fruit Menu and Window Shade X, or contextual menu enhancements such as those provided with applications like FileXaminer and Xray.
- When describing cosmetic issues or anything else visual it can help if you include a screenshot that shows what you are seeing. You can use command-shift-3 to take a screenshot. The file should appear on your desktop and you can attach it to the email you send us.
You can also send us mail: omnigraffle@omnigroup.com.
Want to know what changed in a specific release of OmniGraffle? Have a look at our exhaustive release notes.


We love to hear from our users about what they would like to see in OmniGraffle. Bug reports, feature requests, and creepy love letters - we like it all! Send us your feedback today!