Convert Picture Packer / P-CAD files (PC1) online for free
The converter easily converts your PC1 files to various formats - free and online. No Degas Elite or or other Raster Image software needed.
The converter also works in reverse, so you can convert other "Atari ST Graphics File" formats to PC1 without using software like Degas Elite or a similar tool.
The .pc1 file extension is historically fragmented across three entirely separate legacy systems. Its most prominent use is as an Atari ST compressed graphic file. Created by retro software like PRO-ART Picture Packer or Degas Elite, these files store low-resolution (typically 320x200 pixels) bitmap images using Run-Length Encoding (RLE) to save floppy disk space. Alternatively, in electronic engineering, a .pc1 file functions as a legacy component library for P-CAD, a printed circuit board design tool discontinued in 2006 and later acquired by Altium. In certain regional financial sectors, it operates as a proprietary bank direct credit file for Pacific banking systems like BSP Payroll.
Opening a .pc1 file natively on a modern computer is nearly impossible without specialized workarounds. The Atari ST ecosystem is obsolete; modern operating systems and default image viewers simply cannot decode the legacy RLE compression. You are forced to install retro viewer utilities like XnView or configure an emulator. For engineers, P-CAD software is defunct, requiring bulky legacy import wizards within modern Altium toolchains. Meanwhile, the payroll variant is entirely locked down to specific regional banking software, remaining unreadable to standard accounting tools.
Due to these severe compatibility roadblocks, conversion is the only realistic way to access the data. For Atari graphics, convert .pc1 to PNG for lossless web display that preserves the original sharp pixel art, or JPG for standard sharing. P-CAD component libraries should be converted to PDF for archival reference or migrated to modern .SchLib formats. Bank credit files should be parsed into CSV for analysis in Microsoft Excel. Just drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your PC1 file.
Users also converted PI3, PI1, PI4 and PC2 files.
If you want to convert PC1 file to WEBP, CUR or PSB, you can use Degas Elite or similar software from the "Legacy Image or CAD Library" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SVG files to PC1, try Degas Elite or another comparable tool in the "Legacy Image or CAD Library" 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 PC1 converter.