PICON to SUN Converter

Change PICON images to SUN — no downloads, works online

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Reliable Conversion

Convertio handles the PICON to SUN transformation accurately, preserving your image content while delivering a widely compatible output.

Simple Interface

Three steps to convert: upload your PICON, select SUN, and download. The clean interface makes the process intuitive even for first-time users.

Lightning Fast

PICON files are small and convert to SUN in seconds. The cloud-based engine handles the transformation quickly so you can download right away.

How to convert PICON to SUN

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

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
SUN is a raster image format associated with Sun Microsystems workstations, encompassing both the Sun Raster format (.ras) and the Sun Icon format used for window system icons and cursors on SunOS and Solaris systems. Sun Raster files, identifiable by their 0x59a66a95 magic number, store bitmap images in 1-bit monochrome, 8-bit indexed color, 24-bit BGR, or 32-bit XBGR modes, with optional run-length encoding compression and a 32-byte header. The Sun Icon subset is a simpler text-based format used for small monochrome bitmaps — window icons, cursor images, and toolbar graphics — stored as C-language data arrays that could be directly compiled into X Window and SunView applications. These icon files begin with a comment block specifying width, height, and optionally hot spot coordinates (for cursor images), followed by hexadecimal pixel values in a format readable by both the C compiler and the iconedit tool. Sun workstations running SunOS and later Solaris were foundational platforms for Unix computing, networking, and the early internet, and the SUN image formats were integral to their graphical environments. One advantage is the format's dual text/binary nature: Sun Icons are valid C source code that can be #included directly into applications, a practical approach to resource embedding that predates modern asset management systems. The Sun Raster variant's simplicity provides another strength — the 32-byte header and straightforward encoding make it one of the easiest binary image formats to parse. SUN format files are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, XnView, and Unix image viewing tools.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 1982

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I convert PICON to SUN?

PICON originated in Unix file managers and has narrow compatibility today. SUN offers raster format from Sun Microsystems workstations — a far more practical choice for sharing.

What apps support SUN?

You can view SUN with ImageMagick, GIMP, XnView, IrfanView. These tools cover all major desktop and mobile platforms.

How long does PICON to SUN conversion take?

Conversion is nearly instant for most PICON files. Since these are small images, the entire process — upload to download — takes only moments.

Does this converter work on mobile devices?

Yes — Convertio runs entirely in the browser. You can convert PICON to SUN on phones, tablets, or desktops without installing anything.

Is PICON to SUN conversion free?

Yes — Convertio offers free PICON to SUN conversion. Premium options exist for users who need more capacity or faster processing speeds.

Are my uploaded files kept private?

Completely. Convertio removes uploaded PICON files right after conversion, and the SUN output is automatically deleted within 24 hours.