Free Online XBM Converter

X BitMap (XBM) is a plain-text file format used primarily in the X Window System, a graphical user interface commonly found in Unix and Unix-like operating systems. XBM files are used to store monochrome (black and white) images and are often used for storing icons and graphics for X applications. Unlike many other image file formats, XBM files are human-readable because they are written in plain text and can be created and edited with a simple text editor.

XBM files represent images as a series of hexadecimal values, which correspond to the pixels in the image. Each pixel is either on (usually represented by a '1') or off (usually represented by a '0'). XBM files also include information about the image's dimensions and may contain comments to provide additional information about the image or its intended use. This simplicity makes XBM files easy to work with for programmers and graphic designers who need to create or modify graphical elements for X applications.

One of the advantages of XBM files is their portability; they can be easily incorporated into C or C++ code as arrays of data, making it straightforward to include graphics in X applications without relying on external image files. However, XBM files are limited to monochrome images, so they are not suitable for storing full-color graphics. In modern computing environments, more advanced image formats like PNG or JPEG are often preferred for their support of color and compression, but XBM files remain a useful option for simple, small, and customizable graphics within the X Window System.

XBM Converter Capabilities

Our XBM converter can both convert from and to XBM files and our developers are working to improve our XBM conversion tools in future versions.