CONVERT PCX → ICO (PCX to ICO)
Fast, secure PCX to ICO conversion. No registration required.
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Automatic format identification and lossless transcoding across 201+ formats.
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EXIF & Color Verification Audit ISO Verified
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GPS Coordinates (37.1773° N, 3.5986° W): Stripped (Zero Location Leak)
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Device Serial & Lens ID: Stripped (EXIF / IPTC / XMP Clean)
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Color Space Profile: Display P3 → sRGB IEC61966-2.1
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Chroma Subsampling: 4:4:4 High Fidelity (High-fidelity algorithmic conversion)
HOW TO CONVERT PCX → ICO
Provide the PCX
Click or drag to upload. We accept a single PCX file per job, with an optional queue of additional images for batch mode.
Encode to ICO
The conversion decodes the PCX, resolves the colour space to sRGB and writes the ICO container around the pixel data.
Save the ICO
The download is streamed back over HTTPS. If you uploaded multiple files, a ZIP with all ICO outputs is produced instead.
Opening note — PCX is the legacy ZSoft/PC Paintbrush bitmap format from the DOS era. The ICO you want is two clicks away. A PCX → ICO operation is one of the simplest image jobs there is: same pixel grid, different wrapper. What genuinely changes is how lossy the codec is, whether alpha survives, and how large the final file ends up. KaijuConverter picks safe defaults for each of those and lets you override them under Advanced. Technical note: PCX is the legacy ZSoft/PC Paintbrush bitmap format from the DOS era. Compare that with ICO is the Windows icon container with multiple resolutions packed into one file.
Why convert PCX to ICO
The real reason to move from PCX to ICO is almost never picture quality — both raster formats store essentially the same pixels. It is about the tools downstream: which editors open the file natively, which CMSes upload it without transcoding, which social platforms accept it. Picking ICO solves those edge cases at the cost of a short conversion step.
PCX vs ICO — Technical specifications
Side-by-side comparison of the technical details.
PCX
- MIME type
- image/x-pcx
- Extension
- .pcx
- Header
- 128 bytes fixed
- Compression
- Run-Length Encoding (RLE)
- Creator
- ZSoft Corporation (1985)
- MIME Type
- image/x-pcx
- Category
- Raster & Vector Images
- Full Name
- PCX Image
- Conversion Engine
- IMAGEMAGICK
ICO
- MIME type
- image/vnd.microsoft.icon
- Extension
- .ico
- Compression
- Uncompressed bitmap or embedded PNG (Vista+)
- MIME Type
- image/x-icon
- Category
- Raster & Vector Images
- Full Name
- ICO Icon
- Conversion Engine
- IMAGEMAGICK
- Max resolutions per file
- 65 535 images
- Max single image size
- 256×256 px
- Color depths
- 1, 4, 8, 24, 32 bits per pixel
| Specification | PCX | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | image/x-pcx | image/vnd.microsoft.icon |
| Extension | .pcx | .ico |
| Header | 128 bytes fixed | — |
| Compression | Run-Length Encoding (RLE) | Uncompressed bitmap or embedded PNG (Vista+) |
| Creator | ZSoft Corporation (1985) | — |
| MIME Type | image/x-pcx | image/x-icon |
| Category | Raster & Vector Images | Raster & Vector Images |
| Full Name | PCX Image | ICO Icon |
| Conversion Engine | IMAGEMAGICK | IMAGEMAGICK |
| Max resolutions per file | — | 65 535 images |
| Max single image size | — | 256×256 px |
| Color depths | — | 1, 4, 8, 24, 32 bits per pixel |
PCX vs ICO — Strengths and limitations
What each format does best, and where it falls short.
PCX Strengths
- Simple format — easy to parse in any language.
- RLE compression keeps flat-color images compact.
- Historic archive format for 1985-1995 PC art.
- Stable since 1985 with no breaking changes.
Limitations
- Legacy — no new content created as PCX in 2026.
- Inefficient for photographs (RLE is wrong algorithm).
- Limited to 24-bit color depth.
ICO Strengths
- Multi-resolution: one file, many sizes, OS picks the right one.
- Universal favicon support in every browser since IE5.
- Supports transparency (1-bit since 1985, full alpha since XP).
- Tiny file size — an entire favicon pack typically fits in under 15 KB.
- No licensing or patent concerns — fully in the public domain spec-wise.
Limitations
- Cannot compress continuous-tone images efficiently — use PNG or WebP for photos.
- Format is essentially frozen in 1999 — no HDR, no wide gamut, no modern features.
- Maximum image dimension is 256×256 px (inside an ICO container).
Quality & Compatibility
PCX-to-ICO conversion does not change the visible content. Quality is capped by the PCX decode; re-encoding a lossy source at high quality cannot recover detail that was already discarded. For archival masters, keep the original PCX alongside the ICO copy.
Tips for Best Results
- Large PCX files may look identical to small ICO files for photographic content; pick quality based on end use, not headline megapixels.
- For print, export ICO at 300 DPI minimum and check that the colour profile embedded matches the print shop specification.
- Batch-convert related PCX images in one pass so they share identical encoder settings and look consistent side-by-side.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the codecs involved. If both PCX and ICO are lossy, the pixels are re-encoded and a small amount of detail is discarded — invisible at default quality settings on photographs. If ICO is lossless (PNG, TIFF, BMP) the output keeps every pixel of the decoded PCX exactly, but cannot recover detail that PCX had already compressed away.
Often yes, especially when ICO is lossless. PCX tuned for efficient web delivery will usually produce smaller files than ICO's default settings. If file size matters, drop the quality in Advanced or pick a more compressed target format instead.
KaijuConverter uploads over HTTPS, processes the image in an isolated container and deletes both the source and the output within two hours. No account is required, file contents are never logged, and we do not use uploads to train any model. For confidential material, the paid plan includes a data-processing agreement.
PCX Image
Source formatPCX (PiCture eXchange) is a legacy raster image format created by ZSoft for their PC Paintbrush program. It was one of the first widely supported image formats on IBM PC compatibles and uses simple run-length encoding compression.
ICO Icon
Target formatICO is the icon file format used for favicons and Windows application icons. A single ICO file can contain multiple image sizes and color depths for different display contexts.
Going the other way? Convert ICO back to PCX with the same engine.
Common Use Cases
Share across platforms
Send ICO files to anyone without worrying about whether they have the right software for PCX.
Embed in documents
Drop ICO output into Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Notion or a website without conversion warnings.
Optimize size
ICO often produces smaller files than PCX for web, email and storage.
Archive & future-proof
Store in a widely-supported format that will still open on future operating systems without legacy plugins.
PCX vs ICO — Typical file sizes
Approximate file sizes for common scenarios.
- Simple clipart 2-40 KB
- VGA-era screenshot (320×200) 30-80 KB
- Scanned page 200 KB - 2 MB
- Classic favicon (16×16 only) < 2 KB
- Multi-size favicon pack (16/32/48/256) 5-15 KB
- Full Windows app icon set 20-100 KB
Need to Convert Gigabyte Archives or Mass Folders?
KaijuConverter delivers ultra-fast in-memory conversions for everyday tasks. For multi-gigabyte production workloads without browser bandwidth bottlenecks, explore high-throughput desktop suites.
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High-throughput enterprise pipeline for files up to 2,048 MB, 50-file batches, ISO PDF/A, and priority processing.
Convert thousands of camera RAW files (CR3, NEF, ARW) to WebP, AVIF, or TIFF in one pass.
GPU-accelerated RAW development with end-to-end 16-bit ICC color profile management.
Related comparisons
See these formats side by side to understand which fits your use case best.
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Your files are encrypted during transfer, processed in isolated containers, and automatically deleted within 60 minutes. We never read, share, or store your data.