BIN to XWD Converter

Create X Window Dump images from MacBinary fonts

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X11 Standard

XWD is the native screenshot format for X Window. BIN to XWD conversion creates output for Unix desktop and X11 utilities.

Remote Conversion

Convertio processes BIN to XWD on cloud servers. No local software or processing power needed from your machine.

Cross-Platform

Create XWD files from any device. The BIN to XWD converter works in any modern browser regardless of your operating system.

How to convert BIN to XWD

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose xwd or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your xwd file right afterwards

About formats

BIN refers to MacBinary-encoded font files, a transfer format that preserves classic Macintosh file system features when moving data across platforms. Classic Mac OS stored fonts using the resource fork — a secondary data stream invisible to non-Mac systems — which meant that simply copying a Mac font to a Windows PC or Unix server would strip the actual font data entirely. MacBinary solves this by combining both the data fork and resource fork into a single flat file with a 128-byte header containing the original HFS metadata. In the font context, BIN files typically wrap TrueType suitcase fonts, PostScript Type 1 LWFN outline files, or bitmap NFNT font resources. The format was first specified in 1985 by Dennis Brothers and collaborators from the early Mac community, with MacBinary II following around 1987 and MacBinary III arriving in 1996 to support longer filenames. A key advantage is lossless preservation: every byte of the original Mac font file survives intact through email, FTP, or cross-platform file sharing, including creator and type codes that identify the font format. The single-file packaging is another practical strength — rather than dealing with separate data and resource streams, users and automated systems handle one portable container. Although modern macOS has moved away from resource forks and Mac fonts now typically ship as OTF, TTF, or DFONT files, BIN remains important for accessing archived font collections from the classic Mac era.
Developer: Dennis Brothers
Initial release: 1985
XWD (X Window Dump) is a screen capture image format defined as part of the X Window System by the MIT X Consortium, dating to approximately 1987. The xwd command-line utility captures the contents of an X window or the entire screen and saves it as an XWD file — functionally equivalent to a screenshot utility but predating the concept by years. XWD files contain a detailed header specifying the X server's visual type, bit depth, byte order, bitmap unit and padding, the window's dimensions, border width, and color map information, followed by the raw pixel data exactly as represented in the X server's framebuffer. This means XWD files faithfully capture the exact pixel representation used by the display hardware — including server-specific byte ordering, padding, and color organization — making them primarily useful on the system where they were captured or on systems with compatible display configurations. The header also stores the window name string and the full color map entries for indexed-color visuals. XWD supports all X11 visual types: StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, and DirectColor, at any bit depth supported by the X server. One advantage is exact framebuffer fidelity: XWD captures the window's pixel data in its native format without any color space conversion or compression, making it the definitive record of what the X server was actually displaying. The format's integration with the X11 command-line toolkit provides another practical benefit — xwd can capture specific windows by ID or name, be triggered remotely via SSH, and piped directly to format converters. XWD files are handled by ImageMagick, GIMP, xwud (the viewer companion to xwd), and xv.
Developer: MIT X Consortium
Initial release: 1987

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert BIN to XWD?

XWD is the X Window System screenshot format. Converting BIN creates images compatible with X11 tools and Unix display applications.

How to open XWD files?

XWD files open with xwud (X utility), GIMP, ImageMagick, and image viewers on Linux/Unix systems that support X Window formats.

Is XWD still used?

XWD remains relevant in X11 environments for window captures. It is part of the standard X Window System toolkit.

Can I convert from any device?

Yes — Convertio is browser-based. Convert BIN to XWD from any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, or mobile devices.

Is there a cost to convert?

BIN to XWD conversion is free on Convertio. No registration or payment required — just upload and get your file.