PCX Compressor

PCX (PC Paintbrush format) is one of the oldest raster image formats, developed by ZSoft Corporation in the 1980s. It uses RLE (Run-Length Encoding) — a simple lossless compression that groups consecutive identical pixels into a count + value pair. While RLE was efficient for the limited palettes of early PC graphics, modern compression algorithms like DEFLATE (used in PNG) and WebP achieve dramatically better compression ratios. Our PCX compressor decodes the RLE pixel data and re-encodes it using these modern algorithms, reducing file size by 50–90% while preserving every pixel.

1. 1Upload your PCX files: Drag and drop one or more PCX files onto the drop zone, or click to browse. The pcx compressor supports 4-bit (16 color), 8-bit (256 color), and 24-bit (true color) PCX variants.
2. 2Choose your output format: Select PNG for lossless output or WebP at High/Medium/Low quality for maximum size reduction. All processing happens entirely in your browser — your files never leave your device.
3. 3Download your compressed files: Single files download directly. Multiple files are packaged into a ZIP archive. The stats panel shows exact KB saved, compression ratio, and output dimensions for every file.

• Compression Algorithm:PCX's simple RLE encoding is replaced with DEFLATE (PNG) or VP8/VP8L (WebP) — modern algorithms that achieve 50–90% better compression on typical PCX content.
• Palette Expansion: 4-bit (16 color) and 8-bit (256 color) PCX images are expanded to full 24-bit RGBA color space in the output, ensuring compatibility with all modern image viewers and editors.
• Metadata Removal: PCX header data (DPI settings, palette information, version markers) is stripped from the output, removing unnecessary overhead that modern formats handle more efficiently.
• Format Modernisation: The output PNG or WebP file is compatible with all modern browsers, operating systems, and image editors — unlike PCX, which requires legacy software or a dedicated decoder to open.

Use PNG (Lossless) when pixel-perfect accuracy is required — pixel art, retro game sprites, diagrams, and any image where every pixel matters. Use WebP High (85) for photographs and complex artwork where a tiny quality trade-off is acceptable in exchange for 60–75% size reduction. Use WebP Medium (70) for web publishing and email. Reserve WebP Low (50) for thumbnails and previews where file size is the only priority.