XCF (GIMP Image / eXperimental Computing Facility)
XCF is the native file format for GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). It preserves all GIMP-specific features including layers, channels, paths, selections, and parasites (metadata). XCF is to GIMP what PSD is to Photoshop.
MIME Type
image/x-xcf
Type
Binary
Compression
Lossless
Advantages
- + Preserves all GIMP layers, channels, paths, and editing state
- + Supports high bit-depth (16 and 32-bit per channel)
- + Open format โ specification is freely available
Disadvantages
- โ Only fully supported by GIMP โ no other major editor opens XCF
- โ Large file sizes due to uncompressed tile storage
- โ Not compatible with web browsers or most image viewers
When to Use .XCF
Use XCF as your working format in GIMP; export to PNG, JPEG, or WebP for sharing and web delivery.
Technical Details
XCF files store layers as individual tiles (64x64 pixels) with per-layer blend modes, opacity, and offsets. The format supports 8, 16, and 32-bit per channel, along with GIMP-specific constructs like floating selections and channel masks.
History
XCF was created alongside GIMP in 1995 at UC Berkeley's eXperimental Computing Facility. It has evolved with GIMP through multiple versions, adding support for high bit-depth images and layer groups.