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PCT to AW Converter

Turn PCT images into AW documents for free online

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

Format Bridge

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

Cross-Platform

Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Convert PCT to AW from whichever device you have at hand — no restrictions.

How to convert PCT 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

PCT (also known as PICT) is a metafile graphics format originally developed by Apple Computer and introduced alongside the original Macintosh in January 1984. PCT files can contain both vector drawing commands and raster bitmap data, encoded as a sequence of QuickDraw drawing operations — the same graphics primitives used by the Macintosh operating system for all on-screen rendering. The format evolved through two major versions: PICT 1, which recorded basic QuickDraw operations (lines, rectangles, ovals, text, 1-bit bitmaps) in a compact format suitable for the original Macintosh's limited memory, and PICT 2, introduced with Color QuickDraw in 1987, which extended the format to support 24-bit color, multiple color spaces, and embedded JPEG-compressed data. PCT files begin with a 512-byte header (originally used for resource fork information), followed by the picture size, bounding rectangle, and a sequence of opcodes that define the drawing operations. During the Macintosh's commercial ascendancy, PICT was the universal graphics interchange format on Mac OS — the system clipboard used PICT for all graphical copy/paste operations, and most Mac applications could import and export the format. One advantage is the hybrid vector/raster nature: PCT files from the QuickDraw era preserve both scalable drawing commands and pixel data in a single format, enabling resolution-independent output for the vector portions. PICT's historical significance as the native Mac graphics format throughout the classic Mac OS era (1984-2001) provides another dimension. PCT files remain readable by Preview on macOS, ImageMagick, XnView, LibreOffice, and GIMP.
Developer: Apple Computer
Initial release: 1984
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 PCT to AW?

PCT files from old Mac systems are unreadable by most modern software. Converting to AW makes the image data accessible on any platform.

Which apps support AW format?

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

Is the original resolution preserved?

Yes — the pixel dimensions of your PCT image are maintained in the AW output. No downscaling or cropping happens during conversion.

Is the conversion fast?

Yes — PCT to AW conversion on Convertio runs on cloud servers and completes in seconds for typical image files.

Will the image quality change?

Image data is transferred faithfully from PCT 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 PCT file with its original dimensions and quality — the visual appearance is preserved.