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XCF.BZ2 File - What is an .xcf.bz2 file and how do I open it?
Learn about .XCF.BZ2 files and view a list of programs that open them.
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Overview
What is an XCF.BZ2 file? An XCF.BZ2 file is an archive compressed with the Burrows-Wheeler compression algorithm ( .BZ2 ) by GIMP that contains an .XCF image. It is compressed to reduce its size for backup or transfer purposes. Users can open XCF.BZ2 files with GIMP the same way as XCF files, or they may decompress them with a bzip2 compression utility first, then open the XCF files with GIMP.
More Information XCF.BZ2 file open in GIMP 3 GIMP is a layer-based image editor similar to Adobe Photoshop . Most users save images they are editing with GIMP as XCF files, but they may also export images as compressed archives to reduce their size. For example, users can export an XCF file as an archive compressed with bzip2, XZ, or gzip compression algorithms. To export an XCF file as an XCF.BZ2 file, follow these steps: Select File → Export or Export As Choose "Select File Type (By Extension)" Select "bzip archive" and click Export NOTE: XCF.BZ2 files may also be saved as .XCFBZ2 files.
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.XCF.BZ2 File Extension
GIMP Image Bzip2 Archive
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What is an XCF.BZ2 file?
An XCF.BZ2 file is an archive compressed with the Burrows-Wheeler compression algorithm ( .BZ2 ) by GIMP that contains an .XCF image. It is compressed to reduce its size for backup or transfer purposes. Users can open XCF.BZ2 files with GIMP the same way as XCF files, or they may decompress them with a bzip2 compression utility first, then open the XCF files with GIMP.
More Information
XCF.BZ2 file open in GIMP 3
GIMP is a layer-based image editor similar to Adobe Photoshop . Most users save images they are editing with GIMP as XCF files, but they may also export images as compressed archives to reduce their size.
For example, users can export an XCF file as an archive compressed with bzip2, XZ, or gzip compression algorithms. To export an XCF file as an XCF.BZ2 file, follow these steps:
NOTE: XCF.BZ2 files may also be saved as .XCFBZ2 files.
How to open an XCF.BZ2 file
You can open XCF.BZ2 files with GIMP in Windows, macOS, and Linux. To open an XCF.BZ2 file with GIMP, select File → Open .
Since XCF.BZ2 files are .BZ2 archives you can use a compression utility that supports the format to extract the XCF images they contain. Possible options include bzip2 (multiplatform), Apple Archive Utility (Mac), 7-Zip (Windows), and PeaZip (multiplatform).
How to convert an XCF.BZ2 file
GIMP can convert XCF.BZ2 files to various file types, including the following formats:
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Programs that open XCF.BZ2 files
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Program Name
Platform
Reset
X
Windows
GIMP
Free
bzip2
Free
Corel WinZip
Free Trial
Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe
—
Discontinued
Paid
RARLAB WinRAR
Free Trial
PeaZip
Free
7-Zip
Free
Mac
GIMP
Free
Apple Archive Utility
Included with OS
bzip2
Free
Corel WinZip Mac
Free Trial
Incredible Bee Archiver
Paid
Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe Mac 16
—
Discontinued
Paid
The Unarchiver
Free
Linux
GIMP
Free
bzip2
Free
PeaZip
Free
Category: Compressed Files
Updated: June 13, 2025