PCX is a raster image file format commonly used on IBM PC-compatible computers. Most PC software supports version 5 of the PCX format, which allows for greater flexibility in colour representation. Earlier version 3 files use a standard VGA colour palette and do not support custom palettes.
PCX was widely used for graphics and image storage in early digital imaging and desktop publishing. While largely replaced by modern formats such as JPEG and PNG, understanding PCX is useful when working with legacy software or historic digital archives.