XWD to JPG Converter
Someone sent you an .xwd file, a screenshot taken with the X Window System, and it opens nowhere. Those dumps are uncompressed and tied to one display system, so common viewers skip them. This converter reads the header and the pixels on your device and saves a JPG, PNG or any other format you pick.
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Free to use on any site. Paste the code where you want the tool to appear. It runs inside the page; visitors' files are processed in their own browser and are not uploaded.
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How to convert XWD to JPG
- Add your XWD files by dropping them, clicking the drop zone or pasting.
- The output format is already set to JPG. Adjust quality or size if you need to.
- Press Convert and compare the original and new size for each file.
- Download each file or all of them as a ZIP.
When to convert, and when not to
- You have a screenshot made with the X window dump utility and need to post or print it.
- A document, chat or upload form does not take the .xwd extension.
- You are archiving old Unix screenshots in a format that modern tools understand.
- Do not convert text-heavy screenshots to a low-quality JPG; PNG keeps small text sharp.
What changes
- The dump is decoded using the size, colour layout and byte order recorded in its header.
- Colour masks are applied so red, green and blue end up in the right places.
- Files that use a colour map are expanded to full colour before saving.
- JPG can blur thin lines and small text; PNG is the better choice for screenshots.
- The window name and other header details are not written to the new file.
What an XWD file holds
XWD means X window dump. It is what the standard capture tool of the X Window System writes when you ask it to save a window or the whole screen. The file starts with a header that describes the picture: its width and height, how many bits each pixel uses, how the colour values are packed and in which byte order the numbers are stored. The pixel data follows with no compression.
Because the layout depends on the display that made the screenshot, two XWD files can be arranged quite differently. A good reader has to follow the header instead of assuming one fixed layout, and that is how this converter works.
Colour depth and byte order
The tool handles files written in either byte order, so a dump made on one kind of computer opens correctly on another. It supports pixels of eight, sixteen, twenty-four and thirty-two bits, using the colour masks stored in the header to find red, green and blue inside each pixel value.
Screenshots from older displays may use a colour map, where each pixel is an index into a palette. Those are expanded to full colour automatically. If a file uses a layout the converter does not read, you will see a message instead of a broken picture.
Choosing the right output for a screenshot
Screenshots are mostly flat colour, sharp lines and small text. JPG compresses photographs well but can leave faint smudges around such details. PNG stores them exactly and is usually the better choice. Change the output format on the right to PNG, convert one file and compare the sizes shown next to the original.
If the screenshot is large, the Resize option can reduce its pixel size by percentage or to a maximum width and height. Several dumps can be added together and downloaded as a ZIP.
When a screenshot is very wide, convert a first copy at a reduced size to check the colours. If the picture looks tinted, the file probably uses an unusual colour arrangement, and the error message or odd colours tell you to capture it again.
Privacy: your files stay on your device
- The tool decodes, resizes and encodes your pictures with your browser. The files are never sent to a server.
- To check it yourself: open the browser developer tools (F12), open the Network tab, convert a file, and look for any request that carries your image. You will see none.
Frequently asked questions
What is an XWD file?
An uncompressed screenshot written by the X Window System's capture tool, with a header describing how the pixels are stored.
Why does my viewer not open it?
The format belongs to one display system and most general-purpose viewers do not include a reader for it.
Does the byte order matter?
Not here. The converter reads the order from the header and handles both.
Should I choose JPG or PNG for a screenshot?
PNG, usually, because it keeps text and thin lines sharp. JPG gives a smaller file for photographic content.
What if the converter says the layout is unsupported?
The dump uses an arrangement the tool does not read. Re-capture it as a standard colour screenshot if you can.