How to convert PCX file into TIFF?

PCX format originally was designed by Zsoft for PC Paintbrush MS-DOS. That is why, it is also known as PC Paintbrush format. Zsoft entered into a treaty with Microsoft. The latter was entitled to use PCX format with other products, including Microsoft Paintbrush for Windows (Microsoft Paintbrush program is delivered with each copy of MS Windows). As a result, the format became of great importance not only for computers, based on Intel processors, but also for the whole computer industry. Image data are encoded with the help of one of the RLE algorithm variants (read more about this compression algorithm here). Using RLE algorithms, it is difficult to foresee the end, for compressing factor is highly depended on image data and on the number of colors, used in the concrete. Generally, image data, which contain not more than 16 colors, decrease by 40-70% as compared with the original file size. While 64 or 256 color images, which were scanned or videoed, decrease only by 10-30%. Sometimes you can increase PCX file size via using compression algorithm for complex images.

Today PCX format is not very popular. There are newer algorithms providing much better graphics file compression than RLE. E.g. CCITT Group 4 algorithm used by TIFF format compresses black-and-white images much better than RLE. LZW format is preferable when compressing grayscale and color images.

To convert PCX files to TIFF:

• Download and install Image Converter Command Line program
• Press 'Start" button, then select 'Run...' and press it
  • To convert PCX files to black-and-white TIFF, enter the following command line:
  ICPCL.exe -convertto tiff compression:CCITT_Fax4 -source "c:\source\*.pcx" -dest "c:\out" -save_opt convert_subfolders:yes restore_subfolders:yes
  • To convert files to grayscale TIFF, enter:
  ICPCL.exe -convertto tiff bpp:8 -source "c:\source" -dest "C:\out" -save_opt convert_subfolders:yes restore_subfolders:yes -oper Effect effect:grayscale
  • To convert PCX files to color TIFF, enter:
  ICPCL.exe -convertto tiff -source "C:\PCX Images\*.pcx" -dest "C:\out" -save_opt convert_subfolders:yes restore_subfolders:yes
• Press 'OK' button
• A DOS mode window will open and the conversion process will start
• Converted files will be stored in 'C:\out' folder

If you do conversions often you may found it more convenient to make a conversion script as a BATCH-file.