JPG to PCX Converter
Convert JPG to PCX in your browser. JPG files usually come from cameras, phones, scanners and almost every app that saves photos; PCX is the better fit for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools. You get a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
JPG expected · other image formats also work
How to use JPG to PCX
- 1
Add your JPG files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the PCX is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .pcx files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for jpg to pcx
Where the PCX goes next
PCX opens in GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools.
PCX next to JPG
The PCX keeps the decoded pixels without lossy compression, so expect it to be larger than the JPG.
No new artefacts
JPG is already lossy, since it stores lossy DCT coding in 8×8 pixel blocks, with colour usually stored at half resolution; the PCX keeps the decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
JPG vs PCX
What changes from JPG to PCX
Encoding: the JPG uses lossy DCT coding in 8×8 pixel blocks, with colour usually stored at half resolution; PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding, and the download is a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB.
Bit depth: 8 bits per channel in the JPG; PCX allows 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes, and the PCX written here has 8-bit indexed or 24-bit RGB.
Colour: YCbCr shown as RGB, greyscale, or CMYK from print software in the JPG; PCX supports a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Metadata: the JPG can carry EXIF (camera, date, GPS), XMP, IPTC and an ICC profile in APP segments; PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution, but nothing is copied across.
About JPG
JPEG is the universal photo format. It compresses by discarding fine detail the eye is least sensitive to, which makes photos small but blurs sharp edges and text if pushed too far.
A JPEG starts with the bytes FF D8 and is a run of marker segments: APP1 carries EXIF and often a thumbnail, APP2 an ICC profile, DQT the quantization tables that decide the quality, and SOS the compressed scan, which ends at FF D9.
JPG files usually come from cameras, phones, scanners and almost every app that saves photos.
About PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
When converting JPG to PCX makes sense
PCX is the better choice for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools, while JPG suits photographs that need to open anywhere.
PCX strengths: Read by most legacy and modern viewers; Simple, lossless run-length compression. Drawbacks to weigh: Poor compression for photographs; No transparency; Obsolete outside retro software.
Limitations
- JPEG artefacts already in the file, such as blocking near edges and smeared colour, are kept as pixels: a lossless target preserves them faithfully rather than removing them.
- PCX's run-length compression suits flat-colour art; photographs barely shrink.
- Transparency is flattened onto the background colour, since PCX has no alpha channel.
More conversions
Related tools
Convert PCX to JPG in your browser, ready for photographs that need to open anywhere. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to PNG in your browser, ready for screenshots, logos, graphics and anything that needs transparency. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to WebP in your browser, ready for images on websites and in apps. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to AVIF in your browser, ready for maximum compression on modern websites. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to HEIC in your browser, a HEIF file with JPEG compression inside. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to GIF in your browser, ready for short animations and reactions that must play everywhere. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to PDF in your browser, one PDF page per image. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert JPG to SVG in your browser, traced into real vector paths. Batch, private, no uploads.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting JPG to PCX lose quality?
PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Artefacts already in the JPG stay, but nothing new is lost.
Which apps open PCX files?
GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.