ICO to PCX Converter
Convert ICO to PCX in your browser. ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers; PCX is the better fit for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools. You get a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
ICO expected · other image formats also work
How to use ICO to PCX
- 1
Add your ICO files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since PCX has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .pcx files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for ico to pcx
Where the PCX goes next
PCX opens in GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools.
PCX next to ICO
Both sides are lossless, so the size depends on how well the PCX encoder handles this picture compared with the ICO's each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG.
Written without a lossy pass
The PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels decoded from the ICO arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
ICO vs PCX
What changes from ICO to PCX
Encoding: the ICO uses each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG; PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding, and the download is a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB.
Bit depth: 1 to 32 bits per pixel, set per size in the ICO; PCX allows 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes, and the PCX written here has 8-bit indexed or 24-bit RGB.
Colour: RGB or a palette, per image in the ICO; PCX supports a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the ICO stores it as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons; the PCX has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
Other images: the ICO can hold several sizes of the same picture, typically 16, 32, 48 and 256 px; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the ICO can carry only a directory of the sizes inside, with no EXIF; PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution, but nothing is copied across.
About ICO
ICO is a container that bundles several sizes of the same icon (16, 32, 48, 256 px) into one file. It is still the most compatible format for website favicons and Windows app icons.
An ICO starts with a 6-byte ICONDIR (type 1 for icons) and a 16-byte entry per image giving width, height, colour count and offset. Each image is either a BMP without its file header plus an AND mask, or a complete PNG.
ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers.
About PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
When converting ICO to PCX makes sense
PCX is the better choice for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools, while ICO suits favicons and Windows icons.
PCX strengths: Read by most legacy and modern viewers; Simple, lossless run-length compression. Drawbacks to weigh: Poor compression for photographs; No transparency; Obsolete outside retro software.
Limitations
- The largest image in the icon is the one converted; smaller sizes that were hand-tuned for 16 px are not carried over.
- PCX's run-length compression suits flat-colour art; photographs barely shrink.
- Transparency is flattened onto the background colour, since PCX has no alpha channel.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting ICO to PCX lose quality?
PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Not carried over: any several sizes of the same picture.
What happens to transparency when converting ICO to PCX?
ICO stores transparency as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons. PCX has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Which apps open PCX files?
GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.