How to convert PCX to JPEG
- Add your .PCX file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .JPEG in a few seconds.
- Download your new .JPEG file.
What to expect
- JPEG compression is lossy, so the output is not a pixel-perfect copy of the lossless PCX; artifacts can appear on edges and flat areas.
- Any indexed palette or transparency is flattened to RGB; JPEG does not support an alpha channel.
- Each additional re-save of the JPEG degrades quality further, unlike the original PCX.
Frequently asked questions
How good does the image look after PCX to JPEG conversion?
For photos it looks fine, but JPEG uses lossy DCT compression, so some detail is discarded that was preserved in the RLE-based PCX. Sharp edges, text, and flat color areas can show visible compression artifacts.
Why convert PCX to JPEG?
PCX is a 1985 ZSoft Paintbrush format that few modern apps show by default, while JPEG opens everywhere. Converting makes an old image usable in current viewers, browsers, and editors.
Where will the JPEG open?
Everywhere. Windows Photos, macOS Preview, every web browser, and essentially any image program open JPEG without extra software.
What is lost going from PCX to JPEG?
PCX stores pixels losslessly, so moving to JPEG introduces permanent lossy compression, and any transparency or palette structure is flattened into standard RGB. Re-saving the JPEG later loses a little more each time.
Programs that convert PCX: Adobe Photoshop · Diagram Designer · PhotoFiltre Studio · PolyTrans|CAD+DCC · reaConverter · Xara Page & Layout Designer · Ability Photopaint · Ultimate Paint
