GRAY to PCX Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Raw Grayscale Image and ZSoft Paintbrush PCX exist for different jobs: GRAY is the single-channel spelling of raw grayscale dumps — the same unformatted luminance bytes the GRAYA variant adds alpha to. Convert PCX files from retro games and clipart archives into PNG or JPG.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How GRAY compares to PCX
| GRAY | PCX | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Grayscale + Alpha (raw) coder | 128B header + RLE rows + 769B palette |
| Compatibility | ImageMagick, specialty tools | DOS era, GIMP, ImageMagick |
| Best for | Legacy and specialty pipelines | Retro game and clipart archives |
How to convert GRAY to PCX
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your GRAY files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to PCX". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted PCX file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the GRAY format
The Grayscale + Alpha (raw) coder of the ImageMagick set — the raw-pixels format is written natively by the magick.wasm engine, entirely in your browser.
Obscure coder formats like this are exactly what template-driven converters list and never actually convert — here it really works.
+Strengths
- ✓Written natively by ImageMagick
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓Free, private, no watermarks
!Limitations
- −Niche format — few modern readers
- −Feature subset varies by coder
- −Keep the original for re-editing
About the PCX format
PCX was the image format of the DOS decade: ZSoft Paintbrush's run-length-encoded raster that every scanner, game and clipart CD adopted because it was published, simple and fast on 286 hardware. The header is a fixed 128 bytes, the palette hides in the final 769, and the whole file can be decoded by one while-loop.
Retro gaming archives and 90s clipart collections are full of PCX files. Converting them to PNG or JPG finally makes them viewable — the pixels were always fine, the container was just ancient.
+Strengths
- ✓Decoded by a single RLE loop — no dependencies
- ✓Ubiquitous in DOS-era archives
- ✓Supports paletted and 24-bit variants
!Limitations
- −Effectively dead since Windows 95
- −Rows padded — some files have alignment quirks
- −256-color ceiling for most real-world files
Why convert GRAY to PCX?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Niche format — few modern readers PCX sidesteps that — Decoded by a single RLE loop — no dependencies If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this GRAY to PCX converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting GRAY to PCX?
No — PCX is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original GRAY file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to PCX?
Transparency is kept whenever PCX actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.
Can I convert several GRAY files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.