SUN to XPM Converter

Change SUN format to XPM with our free tool

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Quick Turnaround

Get your XPM output within seconds of uploading SUN data. Cloud processing keeps conversions fast even for larger inputs.

Any Device

Convert SUN to XPM from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. The browser-based tool adapts to any screen and operating system.

Batch Uploads

Queue multiple SUN inputs and convert them all to XPM in one session. Batch processing saves time when you have many files to handle.

How to convert SUN 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

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
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 SUN to XPM?

Sun Icon/Raster files are relics of the Unix workstation era. Converting to XPM brings the content into a universally supported format.

What programs open XPM files?

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

Is the conversion process fast?

Yes — SUN to XPM conversion on Convertio usually completes in seconds. Cloud-based processing handles the work without taxing your device.

Is my SUN data safe during conversion?

Yes — uploaded data is processed securely and deleted immediately after conversion. Output files are removed from servers within 24 hours.

Will my image quality survive the conversion?

Your original SUN pixel data is converted accurately to XPM. The output quality matches what the XPM format supports — no unnecessary degradation.

What makes XPM a good target format?

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