Image
What is a .raw file?
A .raw file is a KryoFlux (version 2.2). This is an image format — a picture, drawing or graphic. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 7 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
7 different formats have claimed .raw over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .raw file
- GIMP (free) and IrfanView open a very wide range of image formats, including obsolete ones.
- XnView MP is the best bet for unusual or legacy image types.
- Your operating system's built-in viewer may work for mainstream formats.
The registry records this extension against KryoFlux, Raw Bitmap, XL-Paint and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .raw file
- Open it in GIMP or XnView and export as .png (lossless) or .jpg (smaller).
The technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .raw.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| KryoFlux | 2.2 | — | fmt/656 |
| Raw Bitmap | — | — | x-fmt/185 |
| XL-Paint | — | — | fmt/1659 |
| DIFFRACplus Raw Data File Format | 1 | — | fmt/1120 |
| KryoFlux | 2 | — | fmt/655 |
| DIFFRACplus Raw Data File Format | 2 | — | fmt/1121 |
| KryoFlux Stream | 3 | — | fmt/2015 |