XPM Image Viewer and Converter

xpm icons and pixmaps as the pictures they describe, not as lines of text, then save them as PNG or ICO for use on Windows.

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5.0

XPM files open without the app that made them.

Scan any image and every word becomes selectable, right where it sits.

Save to PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, ICO or PDF at the quality you pick.

Convert a whole folder in one pass. One unreadable file never stops the run.

Name, size, type, resolution and dates, in a panel beside the image.

XPM plus the everyday formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP and TIFF.

XPM Image Viewer and Converter in 25 seconds

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See it in action

An XPM viewer for files that open as code in Notepad

XPM, the X11 Pixmap format, dates from 1989 and the X Window System on Unix. Its odd feature is that the file is plain text: a C source fragment with a palette of characters and a grid of rows, one character per pixel. That let programmers paste icons straight into their code, and it is why .xpm files still turn up in Linux icon themes, open-source projects and old window manager skins.

On Windows, double-clicking one usually opens a text editor, and you are left reading an array of quoted strings. An XPM viewer turns that text back into an image. XPM Viewer carries its own decoder for the format: make it the default app for .xpm and the icon appears as a picture.

It reads the file without changing it, so a pixmap that lives in a source tree stays byte for byte the same.

Where XPM files come from

If you have an .xpm, it most likely came out of a Linux or Unix context. Typical sources are the pixmaps folder of an application ported from Linux, an icon pack for an X11 desktop, the resources of an open-source project you cloned, or a file exported from an old drawing program for use as a cursor or toolbar button.

These images are usually small, often 16, 32 or 48 pixels square, with a limited palette and a transparent color for the background.

How to convert XPM to PNG

PNG is the right modern home for a pixmap. It is lossless, so every pixel stays exactly the color the palette defined, and it keeps the transparent background. Open the file, click Convert on the command bar, and leave Format on PNG, which is selected first. Choose ICO instead to get a Windows icon at the same size.

To modernize a whole icon set, set Convert to Whole folder and pick an output folder. The run converts every image the app can read in that folder and carries on past any file it cannot read.

Inspecting tiny icons pixel by pixel

A 16-pixel icon fitted to a large window tells you little, so XPM Viewer opens small images at their real size and lets you zoom right in, up to 3200%, with each pixel drawn as a hard-edged square. Plus and minus step the zoom, 0 snaps to actual size, and dragging pans around the enlarged image. The info panel on I shows the resolution, and the arrow keys move to the next pixmap in the folder.

What XPM Viewer does

Renders X11 Pixmap (.xpm) text files as images
Opens small icons at actual size instead of stretching them
Zoom to 3200% with sharp pixel edges past 100%
Converts to PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, ICO or PDF
Folder-wide conversion for complete icon sets
Arrow keys and a thumbnail ribbon (T) for browsing a pixmaps folder
Never modifies the original .xpm file

Who opens XPM files on Windows

Developers working on cross-platform code

Check what the pixmaps in a cloned repository actually look like before changing or replacing them.

Theme and icon collectors

Browse an old X11 icon pack with the arrow keys and convert the ones you like to PNG or ICO.

People moving files off old Unix systems

Turn legacy pixmaps from a workstation archive into formats any Windows program reads.

What's new in 1.0.9

11 Looks: one-click color styles with a strength slider. Save a copy as a new JPG; the original is never changed
New Settings page: light or dark, what sits behind the image, how images open, and more
The title bar shows the name of the image you are looking at
The Open dialog starts on all images

Questions

Anything else? Ask us

How do I open an .xpm file on Windows?

Install XPM Viewer and open the file, or set it as the default app for .xpm so a double-click opens it. It reads X11 Pixmap files with a copy of ImageMagick bundled inside the app, so no X server, GIMP or plugin is needed.

Can I convert XPM to PNG?

Yes. An XPM converts to PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, ICO or PDF, and PNG is the format selected first. Transparent pixels carry over to PNG and TIFF, and the XPM you started from is left as it is.

Can it save or export images as XPM?

No. It reads XPM but does not write it. The formats it saves are PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, ICO and PDF.

Can I zoom in on a tiny XPM icon?

Yes. A small icon opens at its actual size rather than being stretched to the window, and you can zoom in to 3200%, with pixels drawn as sharp squares past 100%. The on-screen picture is a JPEG preview, so transparent areas show the background and color edges can soften slightly; converting reads the original file.

Can I turn an XPM into a Windows icon?

Yes. Choose ICO in Convert. Images larger than 256 pixels are scaled down to fit 256 by 256, the largest size an ICO holds, and smaller ones keep their size.

Can I convert a whole folder of XPM files at once?

Yes. Batch mode converts every image in the open file's folder into a folder you pick, without going into subfolders. You choose whether existing files are skipped, kept alongside or replaced, and files it cannot read are reported at the end rather than stopping the run.

What is an XPM file?

An image stored as plain text in the X11 Pixmap format, written as a C array that maps characters to colors. It was designed for icons in the X Window System.

Why does my XPM file open in Notepad?

Because the format is text, Windows often associates it with a text editor. Set XPM Viewer as the default app for .xpm and a double-click shows the image instead.

What is the difference between XPM and XBM?

XBM, the X BitMap format, stores only black and white pixels. XPM added color palettes and transparency. XPM Viewer opens XPM files.

Which versions of Windows does it run on?

Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11.

Is it a subscription?

No. XPM Image Viewer and Converter is a one-time purchase of $1.99, and updates are included.

How do I get it?

Buy it on this page and your license key arrives by email. If the button says Notify me, XPM Image Viewer and Converter is not on sale here yet; leave your email and we will tell you when it is.