FIG to PICON Converter

Online FIG to PICON — sharp image output fast

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Smooth Transition

Going from FIG to PICON is seamless. Convertio processes your Xfig drawing and delivers polished PICON output.

Batch Conversion

Upload multiple FIG files and convert them all at once. Batch processing saves time when you have several drawings.

Cloud Processing

All conversion runs on Convertio's servers — your device stays unburdened whether you use a phone or an older computer.

How to convert FIG to PICON

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

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

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

About formats

FIG is the native file format of Xfig, a free vector graphics editor for the X Window System, originally written by Supoj Sutanthavibul at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. The format uses a plain-text structure where each graphic object is described on one or more lines with numeric parameters specifying object type, coordinates, line properties, fill attributes, and depth ordering. FIG supports compound objects (groups), polylines, polygons, splines, arcs, ellipses, text strings, and imported bitmaps, each with configurable colors, line styles, arrow heads, and area fills. Files begin with a header line declaring the format version (currently 3.2), followed by a resolution specification and the object definitions. One advantage is exceptional simplicity — the entirely text-based format is trivially parsed, generated, and manipulated by scripts, making FIG popular as an intermediate format in automated diagram generation pipelines. The rich ecosystem of conversion tools is another strength: fig2dev exports FIG files to dozens of output formats including EPS, PDF, SVG, LaTeX picture environments, PSTricks, and TikZ. This made Xfig and FIG especially popular in academic and scientific communities, where authors generate publication-quality figures that integrate seamlessly with LaTeX documents. While graphical tools have evolved since the 1980s, FIG remains in use among researchers who value its scriptability, LaTeX integration, and well-documented format stability.

Developer: Supoj Sutanthavibul

Initial release: 1985

PICON (Personal Icon) is a small-format image type used in the X Window System ecosystem, developed by Steve Kinzler at Indiana University around 1990 as part of the picons (personal icons) database project. Picons are small, typically 48x48 pixel, color images used as visual identifiers for people, organizations, domains, and Usenet newsgroups in Unix mail readers, news readers, and other communication tools. The picon format is essentially an XPM (X PixMap) image stored with specific naming conventions and directory structures that allow software to look up the appropriate icon based on email address, domain name, or newsgroup name. The picons database organized thousands of these small images in a hierarchical directory structure keyed by domain name components (e.g., faces/com/example/user.xpm), enabling mail clients like exmstrstrstr and faces to automatically display a sender's photo or organizational logo alongside their messages. The system predated the modern concept of contact photos and avatars by more than a decade. One advantage is the system's pioneering role in visual identity for electronic communication: picons introduced the idea that email and Usenet messages should display a visual representation of the sender — a concept that eventually became standard in every modern email client, messaging app, and social media platform. The XPM-based format ensures that picons are displayable on any system with X Window libraries. Picon images are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, and X Window display utilities, and the historical picons database remains archived online at Indiana University.

Developer: Steve Kinzler

Initial release: 1990

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FIG to PICON?

FIG drawings need specialized software to view. Converting to PICON creates an image you can embed in documents, slides, or web pages.

Which tools support PICON files?

You can open PICON files with X Window System utilities, GIMP, and Unix/Linux desktop icon editors.

How many FIG files can I convert at once?

You can upload and convert multiple FIG files in one session. Batch conversion processes all files simultaneously.

Can I convert FIG to PICON on a Mac?

Convertio is browser-based and works on Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile. No platform restrictions for this conversion.

Do I need to install anything for FIG to PICON?

No — the converter runs entirely in your browser. No downloads, plugins, or extensions are needed for the conversion.

Does Convertio support FIG files from all Xfig versions?

Convertio handles standard FIG format files. Most Xfig versions produce compatible output that converts cleanly.

Related Conversions

FIG to JPG

FIG to PDF

FIG to PNG

FIG to EPS

FIG to SVG

FIG to JPEG

FIG to BMP

FIG to PSD

FIG to DOC

FIG to GIF

FIG to DXF

FIG to DOCX

FIG to TIFF

FIG to AI

FIG to EMF

FIG to HTML

FIG to ODT

FIG to WMF

FIG to PCX

FIG to SGI

FIG to SK

FIG to OTB

FIG to DOT

FIG to RGB

FIG to PS

FIG to CGM

FIG to SK1

FIG to PLT

FIG to JP2

FIG to WBMP

FIG to TGA

FIG to ICO

FIG to CUR

FIG to PBM

FIG to PGM

FIG to PPM

FIG to WEBP

FIG to EXR

FIG to FAX

FIG to FTS

FIG to G3

FIG to HDR

FIG to HRZ

FIG to IPL

FIG to MAP

FIG to MNG

FIG to MTV

FIG to PAL

FIG to PALM

FIG to PAM

FIG to PCD

FIG to PCT

FIG to PDB

FIG to PFM

FIG to PICON

FIG to PICT

FIG to PNM

FIG to RAS

FIG to RGBA

FIG to RGBO

Specific converters

ICO to PICON

PNG to PICON

JPG to PICON

HTML to PICON

JPEG to PICON

BMP to PICON

PDF to PICON

SVG to PICON

JFIF to PICON

WEBP to PICON

TXT to PICON

WMF to PICON

XLSX to PICON

PSD to PICON

GIF to PICON

DOCX to PICON

AVIF to PICON

XPS to PICON

ABW to PICON

DBK to PICON

KWD to PICON

SXW to PICON

AW to PICON

3FR to PICON

ARW to PICON

CR2 to PICON

CRW to PICON

CUR to PICON

DCM to PICON

DCR to PICON