Why convert PCX to BMP?
PCX is a DOS-era raster format from 1985 that most modern software no longer opens. .BMP is the native Windows bitmap format and is accepted by virtually every Windows application without any plugin. Converting is often necessary when a CNC machine, embroidery system, or older Windows application requires BMP input and refuses PCX files.
How to convert PCX to BMP
XnConvert FREE
Open your .pcx file in XnConvert, set the output format to BMP, and export - it also handles batch conversion of entire folders.
FastStone Image Viewer FREE
Open the .pcx file and use File > Save As, then select .bmp as the output format.
reaConverter FREE
Add your .pcx files, choose BMP as the target format, and convert - supports batch processing of large file sets.
Command line - ImageMagick CLI
Run magick image.pcx image.bmp to convert a single file; available free on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Programs that convert PCX
About these formats
.PCX
ZSoft Paintbrush Bitmap Image (PiCture eXchange)
A PCX file is a ZSoft PC Paintbrush bitmap image from 1985, one of the oldest raster formats on the PC. Almost any image program opens it for free - IrfanView or XnView on Windows, GIMP on…
Open .PCX details →
.BMP
Windows Bitmap Image
A BMP file is a Windows Bitmap - a simple, usually uncompressed raster image developed by Microsoft. Every major OS and image viewer opens it with no extra software (double-click works).…
Open .BMP details →Quality & what to watch
- BMP files are typically larger than the source PCX because standard 24-bit BMP stores pixels without compression, while PCX uses RLE.
- Most converters output 24-bit BMP by default; if you need an 8-bit palette BMP, check the export options before saving.
- Neither PCX nor standard BMP supports transparency, so no alpha channel data is added or lost during conversion.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting PCX to BMP lose image quality?
.bmp file.
