PCX Files

The PCX file is one of the original, pixel image file formats. It originated on the Windows platform, and is most commonly associated with the Windows Paint program. Today the file format is still commonly used in dome fax machines and some scanning applications.

A PCX file will support the use of RGB, indexed color, and grayscale color spaces. It does not support the CMYK color space. The bit depths supported are:

1 for bitmap images
8 for grayscale and indexed color
24 for RGB images

Using a PCX file for use in documents in a print production workflow is unacceptable because of the lack of support for the CMYK color space. Additionally, using a PCX file in a Web-based application will not happen unless the image file is converted to a GIF or JPEG image.

Possible uses of the Run Length Encoded (RLE) compressed PCX image may be in a lower-end production environment to a low resolution or non-PostScript printer. This will most likely produce acceptable image quality.