European Broadcasting Union

OGraf – Open Graphics. Open Possibilities.

The EBU's open specification to liberate broadcast graphics

OGraf is an open specification from EBU for HTML graphics in broadcast. Your graphics work across broadcast platforms, regardless of provider.

Combine the best tools. Swap components when better ones emerge. No rebuilding. No retraining.

Build on web standards. Extend with web technologies. Integrate freely.

One template. Every screen.

One Template for any device.

A single OGraf graphic running live - broadcast, web, mobile. Same code, same data, every screen in sync. Try it.

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The Problem

Proprietary systems
lock you in.

Your workflow is locked to one provider. Your talent pool is limited to scarce specialists.

Want to switch vendors? You'll have to rebuild everything. Want to hire talent? Good luck finding specialists. Want to integrate with other systems or extend functionality? You'll be wrestling with custom SDKs, vendor-specific APIs, or waiting on the vendor's roadmap.

The cost isn't the license. It's the limitations.

The Solution

A common standard based on web technologies.

OGraf defines a common standard using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Your graphics work on any OGraf-compliant system, regardless of provider.

Choose the best editor, the best renderer, the best control system. Mix and match based on what works for your needs. No lock-in to a single provider.

Web standards mean web developers can create broadcast graphics. The talent pool just expanded dramatically.

Key Benefits

Why OGraf changes everything.

Cross-Platform by Default

HTML works everywhere. On-air, online, mobile, social. One graphics package. Every destination.

Create once. Deploy infinitely. That's the web advantage.

Bigger Talent Pool

Broadcast graphics specialists are rare. Web developers and visual designers are not. OGraf works with both.

Developers use the tools they already know. Designers create visually without writing a line of code. Either way - broadcast-ready output.

Vendor Independence

Switch vendors without switching workflows. Negotiate from strength. Never get locked in again.

One specification. Multiple vendors competing for your business. That's the real choice.

Lower Total Cost

No proprietary licenses for every seat. No vendor-specific training. No forced upgrade cycles. No integration tax every time systems talk to each other.

Web tools are free. Web skills are abundant. Web standards are proven.

Future-Ready

Web standards evolve with the industry. New browser features become new graphics capabilities. Automatically.

AI tools train on HTML. They already know the language. They can't learn proprietary formats.

Future-proof isn't a promise. It's built into open standards.

The Difference

OGraf vs. Proprietary.

Feature Proprietary System OGraf
Vendor portability No Yes
Full web technologies (HTML/CSS/JS) Limited Yes
Open source & free to use No Yes
No specialist skills are required No Yes
Custom data integration Vendor API only Yes
Free choice of a control system No Yes
AI-friendly tooling No Yes

Live Demo

See OGraf in action.

A real OGraf graphic running in your browser – the same spec-compliant code that runs in broadcast.

Clarity

What OGraf is – and isn't.

It is

  • A unified HTML-based standard for both rendered and live graphics
  • A flexible API framework – integrates OGraf-compliant controllers, servers, and renderers, commercial or open source
  • A modular workflow – replace or upgrade individual components without disrupting the system
  • A universal platform – works across broadcast, web, mobile, streaming, video editing, and interactive devices
  • An open standard – maintained by the community, not owned by a vendor

It isn't

  • A renderer or playback engine
  • A control system or CMS
  • A replacement for your existing tools – it works with them
  • Tied to any vendor, platform, or proprietary format
  • A requirement to rewrite existing graphics - it's a layer of interoperability

Two Ways to Build

For every creator.

OGraf graphics are HTML at heart, which means they can be created with code, with visual tools, or anything in between. The same standard. The same compatibility.

For Developers

HTML · CSS · JavaScript

Write OGraf graphics as standard web modules. Use any framework, any IDE, any AI coding assistant. If you can build for the web, you can build broadcast graphics.

  • Any web developer can contribute
  • Full access to the web platform
  • AI-generated code works out of the box
  • Fits your existing development workflow

For Designers

Visual tools · No coding required

Create professional broadcast graphics entirely through visual design tools, no programming knowledge needed. Export OGraf-compliant graphics directly.

  • Design and animate visually
  • Export OGraf-ready graphics in one step
  • No code, no complexity
  • The same standard. The same compatibility.

In Action

From design to air
in minutes.

Watch how an OGraf graphic is created with a visual design tool and played out, no coding required.

Under the Hood

Simple by design.

At its core, an OGraf graphic needs only a JSON manifest that declares the data schema and a Web Component with standard control functions.

Everything else is standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

No runtime dependencies. No proprietary APIs. Pure web standards.

{
  "$schema": "https://ograf.ebu.io/v1/specification/json-schemas/graphics/schema.json",
  "id":      "my-lower-third",
  "name":    "Lower Third",
  "main":    "graphic.mjs",
  "supportsRealTime":    true,
  "supportsNonRealTime": false,
  "stepCount": 1,
  "schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "name":  { "type": "string", "default": "Jane Smith" },
      "title": { "type": "string", "default": "Correspondent" }
    }
  }
}

Project Status

OGraf v1 is stable.

Version 1 includes the Graphics Specification and the Server API. Both are published, stable, and maintained with backwards-compatible or optional changes.

Stable Published 2025-09-17

OGraf Graphics Specification

The stable Version 1 specification for HTML-based graphics.

Ecosystem

Vendors & adopters.

These companies build OGraf-compatible tools and broadcast organizations that have adopted the standard.

Vendors

    Broadcast Organizations

      Open Source

      Built in the open.
      Owned by no one.

      OGraf is maintained on GitHub. The specification, tooling, and sample packages are all public. Read it, fork it, contribute to it.

      The repo contains

      • Comprehensive workflow descriptions
      • Detailed documentation and specifications
      • Sample graphics packages for testing
      • Developer toolkits and testing frameworks
      • OGraf logos for software integration

      Working Group

      Join the EBU HTML Graphics Working Group

      Help shape the OGraf specification. Share requirements. Influence development. Drive adoption.

      Open to EBU members and industry contributors.