Images
What is a PCX file?
Updated Jul 2026
PCX (PiCture eXchange) is one of the oldest image formats still floating around, built for early DOS paint software in the 1980s. It stores images losslessly, so no detail is thrown away, but it predates almost every modern imaging feature. Most software can still open one, though almost nothing chooses to save new files in it.
- Extension
- .pcx
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Legacy DOS images
- Transparency
- None
Why PCX exists
PCX was created by ZSoft for its PC Paintbrush program, one of the first popular paint tools on IBM-compatible PCs. This was years before JPG or PNG existed, so PCX became a default way to save and share images on early DOS machines.
Under the hood it's a simple format: a basic header followed by pixel data compressed with run-length encoding, a lossless method that shrinks flat, repetitive areas like solid backgrounds or simple line art well, but does little for photos with lots of detail. Older versions were limited to a small color palette, though later revisions added support for full 24-bit color.
Most people run into PCX today through old, inherited files: scanned documents from legacy office equipment, exports from aging medical or industrial imaging hardware, or artwork pulled from old DOS-era games and archives. The software that made the file may be long gone, but the image itself still needs opening or converting into something current.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Lossless, so no image quality is lost in the file itself
- Very small file overhead for simple graphics and line art
- Still readable by most modern image viewers and editors
- Straightforward format that's easy for old hardware to produce
Watch-outs
- Not supported by web browsers or most modern apps directly
- Compresses poorly compared to formats designed for photos
- No support for modern extras like color profiles or layers
- Rarely used today, so it usually needs converting before you can do much with it
A note on privacy
PCX files don't carry the kind of location or camera metadata you'd find in a phone photo, but the images themselves are often scanned documents or archival material that can hold sensitive content. Uploading one to a web-based converter still sends that content to someone else's server. Converting it on your own machine keeps the file, and whatever it shows, on your computer the whole time.
Questions
How do I open a PCX file?
Most modern image viewers and editors can open PCX directly. If yours can't, converting it to JPG or PNG is the simplest fix and makes the image usable pretty much everywhere.
Is PCX better than PNG?
Not really, for most modern uses. PNG compresses far better for detailed images and is supported everywhere, while PCX is a much older format kept alive mostly by legacy files and hardware.
Why does my old scanner or fax software save files as PCX?
Some legacy scanning, fax, and imaging equipment still defaults to PCX because it's a simple, lossless format that was standard when that hardware or software was designed. It hasn't been updated to use anything newer.
Can I convert PCX without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts PCX files on your own computer, so old scanned documents or archived images never have to leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts PCX and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.