XCF File Extension

What is the .XCF file type?

The .xcf filename extension stands for 'Experimental Computing Facility' (XCF) and denotes the GIMP Image File (XCF) file type and format. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful, extensible, and versatile open/free cross-platform bitmap graphics editor, often compared to the commercial Adobe Photoshop.

An .xcf file is a GIMP graphics project. XCF is the native format in GIMP, and all images that are opened and edited in this editor are saved as .xcf files by default. XCF provides saving support for multiple layers, transparency, selections, masks, and other advanced features. XCF image files tend to be quite large, if multiple layers are used in the project. For smaller file sizes, XCF files can be saved using the Gzip (XCFGZ) or bzip2 (XCFBZ2) compression.

Using GIMP-native .xcf files to distribute and exchange images should be considered with caution. To save an .xcf graphics project in a different format for publishing (PNG, JPEG), the image file should be exported instead of just being "saved as..."

Besides GIMP, XCF has varying levels of support among a dozen other graphics-related applications, including editors and viewers.

Software to open or convert XCF files

GNU Image Manipulation Program

 

Imagine

 

Chasys Draw IES by John Paul Chacha's Lab

 

Parallels Tools Center

 

GIMP by Spencer Kimball

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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