PCX (PC Paintbrush Exchange) is a legacy DOS bitmap format, while TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is the professional standard for high-quality raster image archival. Converting PCX to TIFF preserves legacy images in a modern, professional-grade format with lossless compression, metadata support, and broad application compatibility. TIFF is particularly important for institutional archives and libraries preserving legacy digital content.

This conversion is the recommended archival path for legacy PCX files because TIFF is an ISO standard specifically designed for long-term image preservation.

TIFF is the gold standard for image archival in museums, libraries, government agencies, and research institutions. Converting legacy PCX files to TIFF moves them into the format these institutions use for long-term digital preservation. TIFF's lossless compression ensures no data is lost in the process.

TIFF also provides features PCX lacks: embedded metadata (IPTC, XMP), ICC color profiles, multiple compression options, and broad professional application support. Converting PCX to TIFF enriches the image with modern metadata capabilities while preserving the original pixel data.

The PCX file is decoded (RLE decompression, palette expansion) and the pixel data is written to a TIFF container. Compression options include none, LZW, and ZIP/Deflate -- all lossless. Indexed-color PCX files can optionally be stored as palette-mode TIFF or expanded to full 24-bit RGB. The TIFF output supports embedded metadata, ICC profiles, and multiple color spaces. Sharp handles the TIFF encoding.

Yes. All TIFF compression options (LZW, ZIP, none) are lossless. The output contains identical pixel data to the original PCX.

Yes. TIFF is an ISO standard (ISO 12639) and the recommended format for digital preservation by libraries, museums, and government agencies worldwide.

LZW for broad compatibility, ZIP for smallest files, none for maximum compatibility with legacy TIFF readers. All are lossless.

With LZW or ZIP compression, TIFF sizes are comparable to or smaller than RLE-compressed PCX. Uncompressed TIFF is larger.

Yes. TIFF supports IPTC, XMP, and EXIF metadata fields. After conversion, metadata can be added using image management tools.

Device	PCX	TIFF
Windows PC	Partial	Native
macOS	Partial	Partial
iPhone/iPad	Partial	Partial
Android	Partial	Partial
Linux	Partial	Partial
Web Browser	No	No

Feature	PCX	TIFF
Full Name	PiCture eXchange	Tagged Image File Format
Extension	.pcx	.tiff
Best For	Legacy format	Professional quality

Convert PCX to TIFF — Free Online Converter

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