Image
What is a .rle file?
A .rle file is a SDSC Image Tool Run-Length Encoded Bitmap. This is an image format — a picture, drawing or graphic. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 2 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
2 different formats have claimed .rle over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .rle 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 SDSC Image Tool Run-Length Encoded Bitmap, CompuServe RLE, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .rle 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 .rle.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDSC Image Tool Run-Length Encoded Bitmap | — | — | x-fmt/189 |
| CompuServe RLE | — | — | fmt/1538 |