PICT

From Just Solve the File Format Problem
(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
m (→‎Resources: Updating old ExifTool links)
m (→‎Sample files)
Line 89: Line 89:
 
* http://cd.textfiles.com/fantaziasampler/CLIPART/PCT/ - Version 1
 
* http://cd.textfiles.com/fantaziasampler/CLIPART/PCT/ - Version 1
 
* http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/geology/lazarus/ch7/pict_plots/ - Vector-only PICTs
 
* http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/geology/lazarus/ch7/pict_plots/ - Vector-only PICTs
−
* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/pict/
+
* {{DexvertSamples|image/pict}}
 
* [https://archive.org/details/parsons-photo-pics-on-cd-rom-macintosh Photo Pics PICT format for Macintosh]
 
* [https://archive.org/details/parsons-photo-pics-on-cd-rom-macintosh Photo Pics PICT format for Macintosh]
  

Revision as of 04:23, 28 December 2023

File Format
Name PICT
Ontology
Extension(s) .pict, .pct, .pic
MIME Type(s) image/x-pict, image/pict
PRONOM fmt/341, x-fmt/80
Wikidata ID Q2044200
Released 1984

PICT, or QuickDraw/PICT, is a graphics format native to Macintosh computers. It is associated with the QuickDraw API.

Though it is a vector format, it is often used as if it were a raster format. Many files contain just a single bitmap image.

PICT format is complicated and quirky. Although plenty of documentation about it exists, there does not appear to be any single source that provides a reasonably clear and complete specification.

Contents

Format details

When PICT is used as a standalone file format, the file usually starts with an unused 512-byte header, usually with all bytes set to 0. When PICT is embedded as a resource inside some other format, this header is usually not present.

Identification

A version 1 PICT file has (hex) bytes 11 01 at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with ff.

A version 2 PICT file has bytes 00 11 02 ff 0c 00 at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with 00 ff.

Application data

Custom application data can be stored in PICT files by using the "LongComment" opcode. Each comment has an integer that identifies its "kind".

Notable comment kinds:

  • 100 is an Application Comment (see below).
  • 220 is used for ICC profile data.
  • 498 appears to be related to Photoshop, though it might also be used for other things.

The "kind" does little to identify the application, or prevent collisions. A better way is to use kind 100, which has a standard way to include a 4-byte application signature.

Related formats

Specifications

Software

Vector-based software

(software that can process PICT vectors as vectors)

Other software

Converting

Converting from PICT

An image can be converted from a PICT using ImageMagick: 

  convert image.pict image.png

This example shows a PNG image as the destination image, but ImageMagick supports many other output formats.

Converting to PICT

An image can be converted to a PICT using ImageMagick: 

  convert image.png image.pict

This example shows a PNG image as the source image, but ImageMagick supports many other input formats.

Using converted images on a classic Mac system

Once converted, the image can then be added to a HFS disk image using hfsutils: 

  hmount disk.img                      # mount the HFS disk
  hcopy ./image.pict :image.pic        # copy the PICT image to the disk
  hattrib -t PICT -c 8BIM :image.pic   # set the type and creator codes to ensure that the image is recognised by Mac OS
  humount                              # unmount the disk

Sample files

Resources

Retrieved from "http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=PICT&oldid=47277"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox