Extract text from Descent 2 bitmaps (256)
To convert 256 bitmaps to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other Raster Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Legacy 8-bit Bitmap" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
The .256 file extension primarily denotes a legacy 256-color bitmap image utilized in early Microsoft Windows environments. In rare cases, it acts as a color palette file for the 1996 MS-DOS game Descent 2 by Interplay Productions. Historically, these basic graphic files were opened using retro viewers or early versions of Microsoft Paint.
Users need to convert these files because the .256 extension is entirely obsolete. Modern web browsers, operating systems, and image editors do not recognize the format natively. Because it is locked to an 8-bit color depth (maximum 256 colors), it lacks modern compression, transparency features, and metadata support. Viewing these files on modern displays often reveals severe color banding and pixelation.
The best conversion targets are PNG or GIF. Both standard formats natively support 8-bit indexed color graphics and provide lossless compression without altering or blurring the original pixel data. Converting to JPG is generally not recommended, as lossy compression artifacts will ruin low-color pixel art.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because it relies on undocumented legacy codecs and antiquated palette indexing. Most standard online converters fail because they are built for modern file signatures. Often, only the original retro software running in a virtual machine can properly read or export the raw data. However, just drag and drop your file onto convert.guru to identify the format, view its internal structure, and convert it when our engine detects standard underlying bitmap data.
Convert.Guru analyzes your 256 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted 265, RGBA, PIX, CPM and HEX files.
If you want to convert 256 file to HEX, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "8-bit Bitmap Image Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to 256, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "8-bit Bitmap Image Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our 256 converter.