PCX to TIFF Converter

Free online PCX to TIFF image conversion tool

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Quality Preserved

The conversion transfers all pixel data from PCX to TIFF faithfully. No detail is lost during the format change.

Cloud-Powered

The PCX to TIFF conversion runs on cloud servers — your device stays unburdened while the processing happens remotely and efficiently.

Files Stay Safe

Uploaded PCX images are wiped after conversion, and TIFF downloads are cleaned from servers within 24 hours — security is built in.

How to convert PCX to TIFF

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

PCX (PiCture eXchange) is a raster image format created by ZSoft Corporation in 1985 as the native format of their PC Paintbrush application, one of the first painting programs for IBM PC compatibles. The format uses a simple run-length encoding (RLE) compression scheme that works by replacing consecutive identical pixel values with a count-value pair, achieving modest compression on images with large areas of uniform color. A PCX file consists of a 128-byte header (specifying dimensions, color depth, palette information, DPI, and encoding method), the RLE-compressed pixel data organized in scan-line order, and an optional 256-color palette appended after the image data. The format evolved through several versions supporting increasing color depths: 1-bit monochrome, 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), and 24-bit true color using multiple color planes. PCX became one of the most popular image formats during the DOS era, widely supported by paint programs, word processors, desktop publishers, and early games throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. One advantage was broad DOS-era software compatibility — PCX served as a practical interchange format when competing programs used proprietary raster formats. The simplicity of RLE decoding is another strength, requiring minimal CPU and memory resources ideal for the hardware of that period. While PNG, JPEG, and other modern formats have replaced PCX in contemporary use, the format remains encountered in legacy archives and retro computing contexts.
Developer: ZSoft Corporation
Initial release: 1985
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a flexible raster image format originally developed by Aldus Corporation (later acquired by Adobe) in October 1986 for desktop publishing and scanning applications. The format uses a tagged data structure where the image file header points to one or more Image File Directories (IFDs), each containing a set of tags that describe the image's dimensions, color space, compression, resolution, and other properties. This extensible architecture means TIFF can accommodate virtually any image type: 1-bit bilevel, grayscale, indexed color, RGB, CMYK, CIE L*a*b*, and beyond, at any bit depth from 1 to 64 bits per sample. TIFF supports multiple compression methods including none (uncompressed), LZW, DEFLATE, JPEG, and CCITT Group 3/4 fax compression, as well as multi-page documents, tiled storage for efficient random access to large images, and floating-point pixel values for HDR content. One advantage is professional-grade flexibility — TIFF handles the full range of image types encountered in publishing, prepress, medical imaging, geospatial analysis, and scientific research, where specialized color spaces and high bit depths are required. Lossless archival quality is another core strength: TIFF with no compression or LZW/DEFLATE preserves every pixel value exactly, making it the standard archival format for libraries, museums, and any institution that requires guaranteed long-term image fidelity. TIFF is supported by every major image editing, scanning, and publishing application across all platforms.
Developer: Aldus / Adobe
Initial release: October 1986

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PCX to TIFF?

Few modern applications handle PCX natively. Converting to TIFF ensures your legacy image data works in today's editors, viewers, and web platforms.

How do I open a TIFF file?

Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity Photo, macOS Preview, and professional print and publishing software.

Will the image quality change?

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

Can I convert multiple PCX files at once?

Yes — Convertio supports batch uploads. Queue several PCX files and convert them all to TIFF in one session, saving time on repetitive tasks.

Where can I upload PCX files from?

You can upload from your local device, Google Drive, Dropbox, or paste a direct URL. Convertio pulls the PCX file from any of these sources.

Are colors preserved during conversion?

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

PCX to TIFF Quality Rating

4.7 (39 votes)
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