SCT to XPM Converter

Transform SCT into XPM images quickly online

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Visual Fidelity

The SCT to XPM conversion retains your image content faithfully — colors, details, and dimensions come through intact.

Simple Workflow

Three steps: upload SCT data, pick XPM, download the result. No technical knowledge required — Convertio handles everything.

Secure Handling

All SCT uploads are deleted upon conversion, and XPM output files are scrubbed from servers within 24 hours — your privacy is non-negotiable.

How to convert SCT 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

SCT (Scitex Continuous Tone) is a high-end raster image format developed by Scitex Corporation for their prepress and color reproduction systems, with the HandShake format specification dating to 1988. Scitex, an Israeli company founded in 1968, was a pioneer in electronic prepress — their systems were used by major publishers, packaging companies, and advertising agencies to perform color separation, retouching, and page composition for high-quality print production. SCT files store images in CMYK color mode at 8 bits per channel (32 bits per pixel), with the color channels arranged in a band-interleaved-by-line format optimized for the scanline-based processing of Scitex's proprietary hardware. The format uses no compression, prioritizing direct access and processing speed over file size on the dedicated workstations where these files were used. SCT images were typically very large — high-resolution drum scans of transparencies and prints at resolutions of 300 dpi or higher for print-ready output. One advantage is print production heritage: SCT files represent some of the highest-quality digital prepress work of their era, scanned and color-corrected by expert operators on hardware that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them valuable primary sources for reprinting and archival of commercial print work from the 1980s and 1990s. Adobe Photoshop has long supported SCT files for import, and the format can also be read by ImageMagick, XnView, and other tools with prepress format support.
Developer: Scitex Corporation
Initial release: 1988
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 SCT to XPM?

SCT serves professional prepress needs but is impractical for general use. Converting to XPM lets you work with the image in any tool.

What programs open XPM files?

XPM files can be opened in GIMP, text editors, X Window applications, and Linux desktop environments.

Can I convert SCT to XPM on my phone?

Yes — the converter works in mobile browsers on both Android and iOS. No app installation needed, just open the page and upload.

What makes XPM a good target format?

XPM offers X Window color icon, text-based, Unix desktop. It gives your raw SCT data a proper structure that any image viewer or editor can handle.

How does Convertio protect my uploaded data?

Your SCT data is encrypted during transfer and deleted after processing. Converted XPM outputs are purged from servers within 24 hours.

Is batch SCT to XPM conversion possible?

Yes, Convertio lets you upload multiple SCT inputs at once. All of them are converted to XPM in parallel, speeding up your workflow.