OTB to XPM Converter

Convert OTB images to XPM format quickly and easily online

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Format Upgrade

Move from early Nokia mobile eran OTB to the modern XPM format — enjoy color pixmap format for X11 icons and broad software compatibility.

Cloud Conversion

All OTB to XPM processing runs on Convertio servers — your device stays fast and free while the conversion happens in the cloud.

Effortless Process

Converting OTB to XPM takes just a few clicks — no technical knowledge required. Upload, choose your format, and download the result.

How to convert OTB to XPM

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose xpm or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your xpm file right afterwards

About formats

OTB (Over-the-Air Bitmap) is a monochrome image format developed by Nokia as part of their Smart Messaging specification in 1997, designed for transmitting small graphics — operator logos, group graphics, and picture messages — to Nokia mobile phones via SMS. OTB files contain 1-bit (black and white) images at small fixed resolutions, typically 72x14 pixels for operator logos and 72x28 pixels for group graphics, encoded in a compact binary format suitable for embedding within the payload of SMS text messages. The format uses a simple structure: a header byte indicating whether the image is an operator logo or group graphic, width and height values, and the raw bitmap data where each bit represents one pixel packed eight per byte. The extremely tight format — designed to fit within a single SMS message (140 bytes maximum payload, shared with addressing overhead) — reflects the severe constraints of mobile communication in the late 1990s. Nokia's Smart Messaging system was one of the first commercial implementations of rich content delivery to mobile phones, and OTB images represented the entire visual content capability of Nokia handsets before MMS and mobile data browsing arrived. One advantage is the format's historical role as a pioneer of mobile visual messaging: OTB images were among the first graphics that ordinary consumers could send to each other's phones, predating MMS, camera phones, and smartphones by nearly a decade. The format's minimal footprint is another characteristic — entire images fit in a few dozen bytes, reflecting an era of extreme bandwidth constraints. OTB files are supported by ImageMagick, various Nokia phone management tools, and specialty mobile format utilities.
Developer: Nokia
Initial release: 1997
XPM (X PixMap) is a color image format for the X Window System, developed by Arnaud Le Hors at GROUPE BULL beginning in 1989 as the color successor to the monochrome XBM format. Like XBM, XPM files are valid C source code — each file defines the image as a static array of character strings, where the header strings specify width, height, number of colors, and characters per pixel, the color definition strings map character codes to color values (supporting X11 color names, hexadecimal RGB, and symbolic color types like 'background' and 'foreground'), and the pixel strings encode each row as a sequence of character codes that index the color palette. This ASCII art representation makes XPM images human-readable: one can often see the image content directly in the text of the source file. The format went through three revisions: XPM1 (1989, compatible with X10), XPM2 (simplified syntax), and XPM3 (1991, the current version with the static char* syntax and extended color specification). XPM was the standard format for X Window application icons, splash screens, pixmap buttons, and themed UI elements throughout the 1990s and 2000s. One advantage is the combined benefits of being a valid C source file and a color image: XPM files can be compiled into applications, edited in any text editor, processed by text tools, and version-controlled, while supporting up to 256 colors with transparency (using the 'None' color keyword). The X11 ecosystem's reliance on XPM ensures broad tool support. XPM files are handled by all X11 toolkits, ImageMagick, GIMP, and web browsers (legacy support).
Initial release: 1989

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I convert OTB to XPM?

OTB originated in Nokia mobile phones and has narrow compatibility today. XPM offers color pixmap format for X11 icons — a far more practical choice for sharing.

What apps support XPM?

You can view XPM with GIMP, ImageMagick, XnView, Linux image viewers. These tools cover all major desktop and mobile platforms.

How long does OTB to XPM conversion take?

Conversion is nearly instant for most OTB files. Since these are small images, the entire process — upload to download — takes only moments.

Can I convert multiple OTB files to XPM at once?

Convertio supports batch mode — drag in multiple OTB files and they all convert to XPM together, which is much faster than one-by-one.

What exactly is the OTB format?

The OTB format is an Over-The-Air bitmap format for early Nokia phones, rooted in Nokia mobile phones. Modern software rarely supports it natively, making conversion essential.

OTB to XPM Quality Rating

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