PDB to PCX Converter

Online PDB to PCX conversion — instant results

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Private and Secure

All PDB files are deleted after conversion completes. PCX results auto-expire within 24 hours for complete data security.

Any Device, Any OS

Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone — the converter handles PDB to PCX equally well on every device and operating system.

Fast Processing

PDB to PCX conversion is fast. Small files process almost instantly, and even larger images are done within moments.

How to convert PDB to PCX

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

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

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

About formats

PDB (Palm Database) is a generic database container format created by Palm, Inc. for the Palm OS platform, first appearing with the original PalmPilot in March 1996. In the ebook context, PDB files most commonly use the PalmDOC or Plucker encoding to store readable text with basic formatting. The format consists of a 78-byte header identifying the database name, creation date, and record count, followed by a record index table and the data records themselves. PalmDOC-encoded PDB files use a simple LZ77-based compression scheme to pack plain text efficiently, while Plucker extends this with HTML rendering, image support, and hyperlink navigation. PDB ebooks powered a thriving mobile reading ecosystem years before dedicated e-readers existed — millions of Palm OS users carried entire libraries on devices like the Palm V, Tungsten, and Treo handhelds. A primary advantage is extreme simplicity: the flat record structure and minimal overhead mean PDB files parse instantly even on severely constrained hardware with limited memory and processing power. The open, well-documented structure is another strength, having spawned numerous reader applications across Palm OS, Windows, and later mobile platforms. Though the Palm platform is long discontinued, PDB ebooks remain accessible through conversion tools and readers like Calibre, and the format holds historical significance as one of the earliest practical mobile ebook solutions.

Developer: Palm, Inc.

Initial release: March 1996

PCX (PiCture eXchange) is a raster image format created by ZSoft Corporation in 1985 as the native format of their PC Paintbrush application, one of the first painting programs for IBM PC compatibles. The format uses a simple run-length encoding (RLE) compression scheme that works by replacing consecutive identical pixel values with a count-value pair, achieving modest compression on images with large areas of uniform color. A PCX file consists of a 128-byte header (specifying dimensions, color depth, palette information, DPI, and encoding method), the RLE-compressed pixel data organized in scan-line order, and an optional 256-color palette appended after the image data. The format evolved through several versions supporting increasing color depths: 1-bit monochrome, 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), and 24-bit true color using multiple color planes. PCX became one of the most popular image formats during the DOS era, widely supported by paint programs, word processors, desktop publishers, and early games throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. One advantage was broad DOS-era software compatibility — PCX served as a practical interchange format when competing programs used proprietary raster formats. The simplicity of RLE decoding is another strength, requiring minimal CPU and memory resources ideal for the hardware of that period. While PNG, JPEG, and other modern formats have replaced PCX in contemporary use, the format remains encountered in legacy archives and retro computing contexts.

Developer: ZSoft Corporation

Initial release: 1985

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PDB to PCX?

PCX offers legacy paintbrush format — converting from the legacy PDB format gives your content modern compatibility.

What programs open PCX files?

Open PCX with IrfanView, XnView, GIMP, ACDSee. On mobile devices, built-in gallery apps or third-party viewers also handle this format.

Is the PDB to PCX conversion instant?

Yes, for most files the conversion happens almost instantly. Larger PDB images may take a few extra seconds to process.

Do I need to create an account to convert?

No sign-up necessary. The converter works without an account for regular PDB to PCX conversions.

Does the converter work on mobile devices?

It works on any device with a web browser — smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops all handle the conversion.

Will image dimensions change during conversion?

The original resolution is preserved. Your PCX output has the same width and height as the source PDB file.

Related Conversions

PDB to PDF

PDB to EPUB

PDB to MOBI

PDB to DOC

PDB to JPG

PDB to SVG

PDB to DOCX

PDB to TXT

PDB to FB2

PDB to GIF

PDB to XLS

PDB to PNG

PDB to RTF

PDB to CSV

PDB to XLSX

PDB to JPEG

PDB to DXF

PDB to PPT

PDB to PPTX

PDB to ODT

PDB to HTML

PDB to AI

PDB to PS

PDB to TIFF

PDB to PLT

PDB to AZW3

PDB to WBMP

PDB to BMP

PDB to WEBP

PDB to DDS

PDB to SNB

PDB to DOCM

PDB to PSD

PDB to JP2

PDB to LRF

PDB to PBM

PDB to RB

PDB to TCR

PDB to TGA

PDB to PCX

PDB to ICO

PDB to CUR

PDB to PGM

PDB to PPM

PDB to EXR

PDB to FAX

PDB to FTS

PDB to G3

PDB to HDR

PDB to HRZ

PDB to IPL

PDB to MAP

PDB to MNG

PDB to MTV

PDB to OTB

PDB to PAL

PDB to PALM

PDB to PAM

PDB to PCD

PDB to PCT

Specific converters

JPG to PCX

PNG to PCX

BMP to PCX

PDF to PCX

GIF to PCX

JPEG to PCX

PPTX to PCX

PSD to PCX

TTF to PCX

WEBP to PCX

DOCX to PCX

TIFF to PCX

AI to PCX

PPSX to PCX

DXF to PCX

XLSX to PCX

SVG to PCX

EPS to PCX

DOC to PCX

HTML to PCX

XCF to PCX

XPS to PCX

JFIF to PCX

WPS to PCX

PPT to PCX

AVIF to PCX

TXT to PCX

DDS to PCX

ODP to PCX

OTF to PCX