How to open a .pcx file
Quick, free ways to open PCX on any system.
A .pcx file is a PC Paintbrush Image. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads PCX yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .pcx file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .pcx. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with IrfanView or XnView MP.
- On Mac, use GIMP or XnView MP.
- On Linux, try GIMP or ImageMagick.
- Still stuck? Convert the .pcx to png, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .pcx files
Windows
- IrfanView
- XnView MP
- GIMP
macOS
- GIMP
- XnView MP
Linux
- GIMP
- ImageMagick
!
Before you open it: Safe. PCX is a simple raster image read by image software.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .pcx file?
Almost always because no installed app understands PCX. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
How do I open a PCX file?
Use IrfanView, XnView MP or GIMP, all of which open PCX and can save it as PNG or JPG.
Is PCX still used?
Rarely. It survives in legacy software and old clip-art collections; new work uses PNG or JPEG instead.