XWD file format (.xwd)
X Window dump. Read-only.
Last updated
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 a XWD file
X11 utilities and ImageMagick.
| Windows | GIMP or ImageMagick. Nothing on Windows opens an X Window Dump. |
|---|---|
| macOS | GIMP or ImageMagick. |
| Linux | Native — XWD is the X11 screenshot format, and xwud displays it. |
| Phone | Not practical on a phone. |
| In a browser | No 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.
Questions
What is a XWD file?
X Window dump. Read-only. Files use the .xwd extension.
How do I open a XWD file?
XWD is not widely supported any more. The reliable route is to convert it to a current format, which this page can do in your browser 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.