GIMP File Format Support - Complete Read/Write Format List

GIMP supports a wide range of file formats through its built-in libgimp plugin layer, GEGL operations, and optional third-party plugins. This page lists every major format, its read/write status, and notes on compatibility.

Complete Format Reference Table

GIMP handles formats through two mechanisms: core format plugins bundled with every installation, and optional plugins/GEGL nodes that require additional libraries on the system. The table below covers all formats you are likely to encounter. For guidance on exporting your work, see the saving and exporting tutorial.

XCF - GIMP's Native Format Explained

XCF (eXperimental Computing Facility) is GIMP's project file format, designed to preserve every aspect of your working file between sessions. It is the equivalent of Photoshop's PSD format in the GIMP ecosystem.

Why save as XCF

When you save as XCF, GIMP preserves:

• All layers with their individual names, blend modes, and opacity
• Layer masks (fully editable greyscale masks)
• Channels, including alpha and spot color channels
• Paths and vector outlines
• Guides and grid settings
• The full undo history (in GIMP 3.x)
• ICC color profile embedded in the image
• Parasites (arbitrary metadata attached to layers)

None of this survives export to a flat format like JPEG or PNG. Saving your XCF file is how you protect your working progress.

When to export as PNG or JPEG instead

You export - Not save - When your image is ready for delivery. Use File → Export As (not Save) to write PNG, JPEG, WebP, or any other delivery format. For a deeper look at PSD (Photoshop) file compatibility in GIMP, see the dedicated PSD guide. Common scenarios:

• Web publishing: Export PNG for graphics with transparency, JPEG or WebP for photographs
• Email or sharing: JPEG at 85–90% quality keeps files small without visible degradation
• Social media: PNG or JPEG depending on whether transparency is needed
• Final print delivery: TIFF or PDF export

The GIMP workflow discipline is: always keep your XCF; always export your deliverable.

Enabling Additional Format Support

Some formats require additional system libraries or plugins to be available. GIMP checks for these at startup and enables the relevant format plugins automatically if the libraries are present.

HEIF and AVIF

Both HEIF/HEIC and AVIF require libheif to be installed on your system. On Windows, the GIMP installer may bundle this. On Linux, install libheif via your package manager. On macOS with Homebrew, run brew install libheif. After installation, restart GIMP and HEIF/AVIF will appear as available export options.

RAW Camera Files

GIMP does not process RAW files directly. The recommended approach is to use darktable or RawTherapee as a RAW development front end, then bring the processed image into GIMP as a 16-bit TIFF. See the full RAW photos guide for step-by-step workflow instructions.

JPEG XL (JXL)

JPEG XL support is available in GIMP 3.x through the GEGL image processing framework. It requires the libjxl library. Most GIMP 3.x binary distributions include this by default. JPEG XL offers both lossless and lossy compression with quality superior to standard JPEG at equivalent file sizes.

EPS Files

Importing EPS requires Ghostscript to be installed and visible in your system PATH. Ghostscript rasterizes the vector content at the resolution you specify on import. Without Ghostscript, GIMP will refuse to open EPS files.

Format Recommendations by Use Case

Choosing the right format depends on your output destination. For additional image tools such as converters and optimizers, see the free image tools page. Here is a quick reference: