PWP to XPM Converter

PWP to XPM — convert online in seconds

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Secure Photo Recovery

PWP uploads are automatically deleted after conversion. Recovered photos are removed from servers within 24 hours for your privacy.

Simple Photo Rescue

Upload your PWP file, pick the output format, download. Recovering photos from a defunct format has never been easier.

Original Quality Restored

PWP conversion recovers the complete photo as processed by Seattle FilmWorks. You get the full image quality that was stored on the floppy.

How to convert PWP to XPM

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

PWP is a proprietary image format used by Seattle FilmWorks (later renamed PhotoWorks) for their internet-based photo delivery service in the mid-to-late 1990s. When customers mailed film rolls to Seattle FilmWorks for developing, the company offered a Pictures Online service that let users download their scanned photos through a dial-up internet connection. PWP files were the format used for these online downloads, containing JPEG-compressed image data wrapped in a proprietary container with additional metadata for the PhotoWorks viewing software. The format was intentionally tied to Seattle FilmWorks' proprietary desktop viewer application (PhotoMail), which customers needed to install to view and manage their downloaded photos. PWP represented one of the earliest attempts at digital photo delivery — bridging the gap between traditional film processing and the emerging internet, at a time when most consumers had no other way to get digital copies of their photographs. One advantage of the PWP format's historical context is that it preserves scanned film images from a transitional era when few consumers owned digital cameras or scanners, making PWP files potentially the only digital record of photographs from that period. The format's JPEG-based internal structure is another practical consideration: despite the proprietary wrapper, the underlying image data uses standard JPEG compression, and tools like ImageMagick, XnView, and dedicated PWP converters can extract the images for viewing in any modern application.
Developer: Seattle FilmWorks
Initial release: 1994
XPM (X PixMap) is a color image format for the X Window System, developed by Arnaud Le Hors at GROUPE BULL beginning in 1989 as the color successor to the monochrome XBM format. Like XBM, XPM files are valid C source code — each file defines the image as a static array of character strings, where the header strings specify width, height, number of colors, and characters per pixel, the color definition strings map character codes to color values (supporting X11 color names, hexadecimal RGB, and symbolic color types like 'background' and 'foreground'), and the pixel strings encode each row as a sequence of character codes that index the color palette. This ASCII art representation makes XPM images human-readable: one can often see the image content directly in the text of the source file. The format went through three revisions: XPM1 (1989, compatible with X10), XPM2 (simplified syntax), and XPM3 (1991, the current version with the static char* syntax and extended color specification). XPM was the standard format for X Window application icons, splash screens, pixmap buttons, and themed UI elements throughout the 1990s and 2000s. One advantage is the combined benefits of being a valid C source file and a color image: XPM files can be compiled into applications, edited in any text editor, processed by text tools, and version-controlled, while supporting up to 256 colors with transparency (using the 'None' color keyword). The X11 ecosystem's reliance on XPM ensures broad tool support. XPM files are handled by all X11 toolkits, ImageMagick, GIMP, and web browsers (legacy support).
Initial release: 1989

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PWP to XPM?

PWP was a proprietary format from Seattle FilmWorks — a company that no longer exists. Converting to XPM rescues your 1990s photos from a dead format.

What opens XPM?

Text editors, GIMP, and X Window system tools open XPM images — they are stored as C code.

Will the image quality be preserved?

The converter extracts full quality from PWP RAW data and renders it into XPM with the best possible fidelity for the target format.

Do I need to install anything?

No installation at all. The PWP to XPM converter runs entirely in your web browser — just visit the page and start converting.

Is PWP to XPM conversion free?

Standard conversions are available at no cost. Premium plans add faster processing and higher limits for professional-volume work.