What is a .cbz file?
Comic Book ZIP · eBook · Comic reader community (open) · 2000s
A CBZ is a comic book file, and it is simply a ZIP archive of image pages (usually JPG or PNG) in reading order. A comic reader flips through the pictures, and if you rename it to .zip you can see them directly.
What is a .cbz file used for?
There is nothing exotic about a CBZ: it is a plain ZIP whose contents are the comic's pages as image files, named so they sort into the right order.
Comic reader apps like YACReader, CDisplayEx or Panels open a CBZ and page through it with a comfortable reading layout, bookmarks and zoom.
Because it is just a ZIP, you can make one by compressing a folder of images and changing the extension to .cbz, and you can open one anywhere by renaming it back to .zip.
How to open a .cbz file
The .cbz format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- YACReader
- CDisplayEx
- rename to .zip and extract
macOS
- YACReader
- Simple Comic
- rename to .zip and extract
Linux
- YACReader
- MComix
Web
- Some online comic readers
How to convert a .cbz file
You can convert a .cbz file to PDF, CBR using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
.cbz file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .cbz file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for CBZ.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 50 4B 03 04 | 0 | ZIP header; a CBZ is a ZIP of image pages |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .cbz file?
A CBZ is a comic book file, and it is simply a ZIP archive of image pages (usually JPG or PNG) in reading order. A comic reader flips through the pictures, and if you rename it to .zip you can see them directly.
How do I open a CBZ file?
Use a comic reader such as YACReader or CDisplayEx, which page through it properly. Alternatively, rename the file to .zip and extract the images with any archive tool.
What is the difference between CBZ and CBR?
Only the archive inside: CBZ pages are packed in a ZIP, CBR pages in a RAR. Comic readers open both. CBZ is easier to create because ZIP tools are everywhere.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references: