PCX Converter — Convert PCX Files to PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP and More

PCX files were standard in the DOS era, but modern image editors and viewers often refuse to open them, or open them with wrong colors. If you have a folder of PCX images from an old scanner, a legacy CAD system, or a retro game archive, you need a converter that reads the format correctly and outputs something every application can use.

Total Image Converter reads PCX files and converts them to PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, PDF, and 20 other formats. It handles entire folders in one batch, preserves color depth, and can resize or crop images during the same conversion pass. A 30-day free trial is available with no email or credit card required.

• Batch conversion — select a folder with hundreds of PCX files and convert them all in one run
• Color depth preserved — 1-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 24-bit PCX files all convert correctly without palette errors
• Resize and crop in one pass — set target dimensions in the wizard and conversion happens simultaneously
• Command-line interface — automate conversion from scripts, scheduled tasks, or build pipelines
• Offline processing — no files uploaded anywhere, no file size limits
• One-time license — personal license from $49.90, no subscription

What Is the PCX Format?

PCX (PC Paintbrush Exchange) was created by ZSoft Corporation in 1982 for their PC Paintbrush software on DOS. It became one of the first widely used raster image formats for IBM-compatible PCs and remained a standard throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Scanners, fax software, early desktop publishing tools, and DOS games all used PCX as a default output format.

PCX uses run-length encoding (RLE) compression, which works well on images with large areas of flat color. The format supports color depths from 1-bit (black and white) through 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256-color indexed), and 24-bit (true color). Each PCX file contains a header that describes the image dimensions, color depth, and palette.

The problem today is that mainstream software has dropped PCX support. Adobe Photoshop removed native PCX support in CS6. Windows Photo Viewer does not open PCX. Most modern image editors either ignore PCX entirely or open it with palette corruption. If your workflow depends on reading PCX archives, a dedicated converter is the only reliable path forward.

PCX vs. Modern Formats

PNG is the most practical replacement for PCX in most workflows: lossless, widely supported, and smaller than BMP. TIFF is the right choice for archiving or print production. JPEG works when the original PCX is a photograph and file size matters.

How to Convert PCX Files in Batch

• Step 1. Download and install Total Image Converter. Launch the program after installation.
• Step 2. In the left panel, navigate the folder tree to the directory that contains your PCX files. The center panel shows all images in the selected folder.
• Step 3. Check the PCX files you want to convert. Click Check All to select every PCX file in the folder at once.
• Step 4. Click the target format button in the toolbar — PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, or PDF.
• Step 5. The conversion wizard opens. Set the output folder. Optionally configure resize dimensions, color mode, or JPEG quality on the respective tabs.
• Step 6. Click Start. Total Image Converter processes all selected files and saves the converted images to the output folder. Original PCX files are not modified.

Command-Line PCX Conversion

Total Image Converter includes a full command-line interface. You can call it from batch files, PowerShell scripts, or automated build tasks. No GUI is required after initial installation.

Convert all PCX files in a folder to PNG:

TotalImageConverter.exe C:\Archive\*.pcx C:\Output -c png

Convert PCX files to JPEG and set compression quality to 90:

TotalImageConverter.exe C:\Archive\*.pcx C:\Output -c jpeg -jpegquality 90

You can add -resize 800 600 to scale the output, or -subfolder yes to preserve the source folder structure. Place any combination of these commands in a .bat file and schedule it with Windows Task Scheduler for fully automated conversion.

Why Use Total Image Converter?

Handles large batches without slowing down

Select an entire folder or a nested directory tree and convert all PCX files in one run. The conversion engine processes files sequentially without loading all of them into memory at once, so performance stays consistent whether you have 10 files or 10,000.

Reads all PCX color depth variants correctly

PCX files come in multiple color depth variants: 1-bit monochrome, 4-bit 16-color, 8-bit 256-color with an embedded palette, and 24-bit true color. Each variant uses a different internal structure. Total Image Converter reads all of them correctly and maps the palette to the output format without color shift or banding.

Resize, crop, and rotate in the same pass

You do not need a second tool to resize output images. In the conversion wizard, open the Resize tab and enter target pixel dimensions or a percentage of the original size. Cropping and rotation are available on separate tabs. Everything happens in a single conversion pass, saving time on large batches.

Fully offline — no file size limits

Nothing is uploaded to a server. All conversion happens locally on your Windows PC. There are no file size restrictions, no daily limits, and no requirement for an internet connection after installation. This matters when working with confidential scans or proprietary game assets.

One-time purchase, perpetual license

A personal license starts at $49.90 and covers all features including command-line access. There is no subscription, no renewal fee, and no feature gating. A 30-day free trial with full functionality is available at coolutils.com/TotalImageConverter.

Online PCX Converter vs. Desktop Tool

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Total Image Converter Customer Reviews 2026

"We have roughly 40,000 scans from our old Fujitsu scanner that produced PCX files throughout the 1990s. Total Image Converter processed the entire archive to TIFF in a single overnight batch. The color accuracy on the 8-bit grayscale documents was exact, and the command-line mode let us automate the whole job without touching the GUI."

Gerhard Steiner Records Manager, Municipal Archive

"I do DOS-era game preservation and work with PCX sprite sheets constantly. Most converters mangle the 4-bit and 8-bit palette files completely. Total Image Converter gets every palette entry right. I now have a batch script that rips PCX assets from game directories straight to PNG with a single command. Saves hours of manual work per project."

Dale Kowalczyk Indie Game Developer

"Our legacy technical manuals contained PCX diagrams exported from old CAD software. We needed them as TIFF files to drop into our current InDesign layouts. Total Image Converter handled all 1,200 files accurately. The only thing I would add is a folder-watch mode for ongoing jobs, but for a one-time migration it worked perfectly."

Miriam Voss Technical Publications Editor

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