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PCD to AW Converter

Convert PCD images to AW documents — free online

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Format Bridge

Bridge the gap between PCD and modern formats. The converter handles the technical translation so you get a clean AW file.

Privacy Protected

Convertio removes uploaded PCD files right after processing and purges AW results within 24 hours. Your data does not linger on servers.

Wide Compatibility

Convert PCD to AW and dozens of other formats. Convertio supports hundreds of conversion directions for maximum flexibility.

How to convert PCD to AW

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

PCD (Photo CD) is a proprietary image format developed by Eastman Kodak in partnership with Philips, launched in 1992 as a system for transferring 35mm film photographs to compact discs for digital viewing and printing. Each PCD file stores a single photograph at five different resolutions in a hierarchical structure called an Image Pac: Base/16 (192x128), Base/4 (384x256), Base (768x512), 4Base (1536x1024), and 16Base (3072x2048), with optional 64Base (6144x4096) on Pro Photo CD discs. Images are stored in Kodak's proprietary YCC color space (a variant of CIE Lab via the Photo YCC color model), which captures a wider gamut than sRGB, at 8 bits per component in the luminance channel and subsampled chrominance. The multi-resolution pyramid is encoded using a progressive scheme: the Base image is stored directly, and each higher resolution is stored as a residual (difference) that refines the upscaled previous level, keeping the total file size manageable. One advantage is the exceptional scan quality: Photo CD scans were performed on Kodak's professional PIW (Photo Imaging Workstation) scanners by trained operators, producing consistently excellent results from 35mm negatives and slides — often better than what contemporary consumer flatbed scanners could achieve. The multi-resolution structure is another notable feature: a single PCD file serves needs from thumbnail browsing to high-resolution printing without separate file versions. PCD files can be read by Adobe Photoshop, ImageMagick, GIMP (via plugin), IrfanView, and XnView, ensuring continued access to the millions of Photo CD images created during the format's commercial peak in the 1990s.
Developer: Eastman Kodak
Initial release: 1992
AW is the document format of Applix Words, the word processor component of the Applix office suite (later renamed Anyware Office) developed by Applix, Inc. for Unix and Linux workstations. The suite targeted enterprise Unix environments during the 1990s, providing word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and presentation capabilities on platforms like Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, and Linux where Microsoft Office was unavailable. AW files store formatted text documents with support for character and paragraph styling, page layout, tables, headers and footers, and embedded graphics. The format uses a proprietary binary structure optimized for the Applix application's internal document model. Applix Words gained particular visibility in the Linux community during the late 1990s when it was bundled with several commercial Linux distributions as their default word processor before OpenOffice.org became widely available. One advantage was native Unix platform support — Applix provided professional word processing capabilities on Unix workstations at a time when few commercial alternatives existed. The format's tight integration with other Applix suite components enabled cross-referencing between word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Applix was acquired by Cognos in 2003, and the office suite was discontinued. AW files are primarily encountered today in archived documents from Unix enterprise environments of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Developer: Applix, Inc.
Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PCD to AW?

Kodak Photo CD service no longer exists, and PCD support is rare. Converting to AW preserves your film scans in a format any device can display.

What programs open AW files?

Applix Words and legacy Applix office suite. LibreOffice can import some AW files.

Will the image quality change?

Image data is transferred faithfully from PCD to AW. The conversion itself does not degrade or enhance the original pixel information.

Will the AW look like my original image?

The AW document embeds the image from the PCD file with its original dimensions and quality — the visual appearance is preserved.

Are colors preserved during conversion?

Color data from the PCD file is mapped accurately into AW. The conversion maintains the original color profile as closely as the target format allows.

What platforms are supported?

Any device with a web browser — Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS. No software installation is needed for the conversion.