Reference Formats
PCX
An early MS-DOS-era raster format from ZSoft Corporation using RLE compression and palette-indexed color, one of the first bitmap formats on the PC and later bundled with Windows via Microsoft Paintbrush.
Extension
.pcx
Full name
PiCture eXchange
Introduced
1985, as the native format of PC Paintbrush
Vendor
ZSoft Corporation
What is inside the container
A PCX file holds a fixed header (dimensions, palette, encoding info) followed by run-length-encoded scanline data; later revisions extended it from 2/4/16-color palettes up to 256-color indexed and 24-bit true-color variants. It has no support for embedded ICC profiles, XMP, IPTC, or layered data, and predates EXIF entirely, so it carries essentially no descriptive metadata by design.
How to open it
For archives
PCX is legacy and effectively obsolete outside old scanned/engineering archives; if a DAM ingests PCX files, convert them to TIFF or PNG immediately for active use and keep the original PCX only as a bit-for-bit preservation copy, since tool support keeps shrinking and the format offers no metadata capacity of its own.
ZSoft Corporation of Marietta, Georgia published PCX in 1985 as the native format of its PC Paintbrush software, one of the first serious graphics editors for MS-DOS. An OEM deal that put a Windows version — Microsoft Paintbrush — on every copy of Windows sold made PCX briefly ubiquitous, and it stands as one of the earliest widely used bitmap formats on the PC, predating GIF, JPEG, and PNG.
PCX’s relevance to a modern DAM is almost entirely archival: collections of scanned documents, early CAD exports, or legacy engineering archives sometimes still surface PCX files from the DOS and early Windows era. The format’s RLE compression and indexed color keep files small, but it has no mechanism for embedding rights, creator, or keyword metadata, and support has been quietly dropping out of mainstream software for years as GIF, JPEG, and PNG took over. A DAM encountering PCX should treat it purely as a preservation artifact and normalize a working copy to TIFF or PNG rather than relying on PCX for ongoing access.
Frequently asked
Does PCX support any embedded metadata standards?
No. PCX has no support for embedded ICC profiles, XMP, or IPTC, and it predates EXIF entirely, so it carries essentially no descriptive metadata by design.
Should a DAM keep ingested PCX files in active use as-is?
No. Convert PCX to TIFF or PNG immediately for active use, and keep the original PCX only as a bit-for-bit preservation copy, since tool support for it keeps shrinking.
What compression does PCX use?
Run-length encoding applied to scanline data, following a fixed header of dimensions, palette, and encoding info.
What color depths did PCX support over its history?
It started with 2/4/16-color palettes and later revisions extended it up to 256-color indexed and 24-bit true-color variants.
Where would a DAM most likely still encounter PCX files?
In old scanned or engineering archives, since PCX is legacy and effectively obsolete outside that context.
Can current creative software still open PCX?
Yes, to a degree. IrfanView, XnView, GIMP, and Photoshop via its built-in file-format plugin all still open PCX, and ImageMagick's convert can batch-convert it to modern formats.
Where did PCX come from?
ZSoft Corporation introduced it in 1985 as the native format of PC Paintbrush; it was one of the first bitmap formats on the PC and was later bundled with Windows via Microsoft Paintbrush.
Does PCX support layers or transparency?
No. It has no concept of layers or transparency, only a single flat palette-indexed or true-color bitmap.
Sources
- ZSoft published the PCX file format in 1985 as the native file format for PC Paintbrush. checked 2026-08-07 — Wikipedia - PCX
- PCX stands for PiCture eXchange, and was developed by the now-defunct ZSoft Corporation of Marietta, Georgia. checked 2026-08-07 — Library of Congress - PiCture eXchange (PCX)
- PCX commonly stores palette-indexed images from 2/4 colors up to 16 and 256 colors, and was later extended to record true-color (24-bit) images. checked 2026-08-07 — Adobe - What is a PCX file?