PCX to XWD Converter

Free PCX to XWD conversion — online image tool

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Faithful Transfer

Image content moves from PCX to XWD without degradation. Colors, dimensions, and detail are preserved throughout the conversion.

Simple Workflow

Upload your PCX file, select XWD, and download the result. Three steps — no learning curve, no complicated menus to navigate.

Any Device Works

Run the PCX to XWD converter from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone — all you need is a web browser and internet access.

How to convert PCX 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

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
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 PCX to XWD?

PCX was designed for 1980s PC software. Converting to XWD modernizes the file so it works with contemporary tools, browsers, and operating systems.

How do I open an XWD file?

X Window System (xwud command), GIMP, IrfanView, and Unix desktop screenshot tools.

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.

Will the image quality change?

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

Are colors preserved during conversion?

Color data from the PCX file is mapped accurately into XWD. 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.