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XWD file (X Window Dump)

X Window dump. Read-only.

Last updated

Convert XWD to JPG, free and without uploading it.

What is an XWD file?

In short: An XWD file (.xwd) is an image file in the XWD format. XWD is what the X11 xwd command produced when you captured a window: the raw pixels plus a header describing the display they came from. It can be converted to JPG, PNG or WEBP for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.

The X Window System dump format, from the Unix windowing system of the 1980s.

XWD is what the X11 xwd command produced when you captured a window: the raw pixels plus a header describing the display they came from. It survives mainly in old Unix documentation and archives.

What XWD is good at

  • Lossless
  • Records the display characteristics of the machine it came from
  • Still readable by standard Unix image tools

Where XWD falls short

  • Essentially obsolete
  • Large and uncompressed
  • Almost nothing opens one today

When to use XWD

Convert XWD to PNG. There is no current reason to create one.

How to open an XWD file

X11 utilities and ImageMagick.

Opening a .xwd file on each platform
WindowsGIMP or ImageMagick. Nothing on Windows opens an X Window Dump.
macOSGIMP or ImageMagick.
LinuxNative — XWD is the X11 screenshot format, and xwud displays it.
PhoneNot practical on a phone.
In a browserNo browser displays XWD.

The thing that usually goes wrong

If you have an XWD it is almost certainly from an old archive, and converting it to PNG is the only thing worth doing with it.

Not sure the file really is an XWD? Identify it by its contents, whatever its extension says.

Questions

What is an XWD file?

XWD stands for X Window Dump. X Window dump. Read-only. Files use the .xwd extension.

What does XWD stand for?

XWD stands for X Window Dump.

How do I open an XWD file?

On Windows: GIMP or ImageMagick. Nothing on Windows opens an X Window Dump. On a Mac: GIMP or ImageMagick. On a phone: Not practical on a phone. Or convert an XWD here to a format that opens everywhere, free and without uploading it.

Can I convert XWD for free?

Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.

Is XWD lossless?

Yes. XWD stores every pixel exactly, at the cost of a larger file.