PCD file format
| Extension | .pcd |
| Category | images |
| Programs | ACD Systems Canvas 15 Corel PaintShop Pro X6 Corel WordPerfect Office X7 Apache OpenOffice ACD Systems ACDSee 17 |
| Description | Kodak, a major photography company, needed a reliable way to store photos on various storage devices. To address this need, they developed the Photo CD (PCD) format. High-resolution images from advanced cameras and scanners require significant storage space. The PCD format employs a specialized image compression system. This system shrinks image file sizes by breaking down the image into 24-bit chunks of color data. A PCD file can hold images up to 6144 pixels wide and 4096 pixels high. |
| Technical details | Typically, images stored using the PCD format have a resolution of 3072 pixels wide and 2048 pixels high. These images retain a full 24-bit color depth, providing a wide range of colors. The PCD format's compression system mirrors Apple's patented high-resolution video compression technology, but instead of compressing video frames, it compresses still images. This compression significantly reduces file sizes without sacrificing much image quality. Kodak cameras and storage devices benefited greatly from the PCD format. The PCD format enables the storage of high-resolution images while maintaining manageable file sizes. It achieves this by compressing the 24-bit color data of the image. This color data represents the intensity of red, green, and blue light, creating the image's colors. A 24-bit color depth offers a vast color palette, essential for high-quality images. The PCD format efficiently packs image data, resulting in smaller file sizes, making it an ideal solution for storing large images across various storage devices. |
| MIME type | image/photoshop image/x-photoshop image/psd application/photoshop application/psd zz-application/zz-winassoc-psd application/octet-stream |