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What is a .pcx file?

A .pcx file is a PCX (version 0). This one is a specialist format without an obvious everyday home. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 5 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.

This extension has been used by more than one format

5 different formats have claimed .pcx over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.

How to open a .pcx file

  • The program that created it is by far the most reliable way to open it.
  • On Windows, use a hex viewer or the free TrID tool to identify what the file really is.
  • On Mac or Linux, running `file yourfile` in the terminal identifies most formats instantly.

The registry records this extension against PCX, PCX, PCX and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.

How to convert a .pcx file

  • Identify the file first, then look for an export or Save As option in whatever program can read it.

MIME type

When a .pcx file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:

image/vnd.zbrush.pcx

What's a MIME type?

The technical record

For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .pcx.

Format nameVersionMIME typePUID
PCX0image/vnd.zbrush.pcxfmt/86
PCX2image/vnd.zbrush.pcxfmt/87
PCX3image/vnd.zbrush.pcxfmt/88
PCX4image/vnd.zbrush.pcxfmt/89
PCX5image/vnd.zbrush.pcxfmt/90

Got another one?