What is IIQ?

Phase One IIQ is a professional medium-format raw format used by Phase One digital backs, delivering exceptional image quality for commercial photography.

What is XPM?

X PixMap (XPM) is a color image format for X11 GUI icons, storing pixel data as C source code with color-key transparency.

When Should You Use IIQ vs XPM?

IIQ vs XPM: Key Differences

• •IIQ uses lossless compression while XPM uses lossless compression — both take the same approach to file size management.
• •Since both IIQ and XPM use lossless compression, the quality characteristics are comparable — differences in file size come down to how efficiently each format implements compression.
• •Transparency: Transparent pixels supported via color key
• •File sizes: IIQ files typically range 50-150MB per image from medium-format backs and XPM files Small, efficient for icons.
• •Use case fit: IIQ targets professional studio photography, digital back capture and XPM targets x11 desktop icons, legacy unix graphics — your choice depends on which workflow stage you are serving.

Advantages of IIQ

• ✓At its core, IIQ relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for Professional studio photography, digital back capture.
• ✓You won't run into compatibility issues with IIQ — it's a universal standard across platforms.
• ✓File size management with IIQ: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
• ✓Every major application in the Professional studio photography, digital back capture space supports IIQ natively.

Advantages of XPM

• ✓XPM applies lossless compression specifically calibrated for X11 desktop icons, legacy Unix graphics.
• ✓XPM enjoys broad native support across operating systems, browsers, and creative tools alike.
• ✓XPM guarantees every bit of the original data survives — no approximations, no shortcuts.
• ✓You will find XPM support built into virtually every tool that handles X11 desktop icons, legacy Unix graphics — no plugins or converters needed.

Common Use Cases for IIQ to XPM Conversion

• Presentation graphics
• Blog and article illustrations
• Mobile app UI assets
• Product photography for marketplaces
• Digital art portfolios
• Brochure and flyer design

Industry Applications

Best Practices for IIQ to XPM Conversion

• →When converting IIQ to XPM, check whether XPM supports transparency — if not, your transparent areas will be filled with a solid color
• →Use XPM for maximum quality archival and IIQ for lossless workflows
• →Optimize images for web to reduce page load times — tools like our converter let you adjust quality settings before conversion
• →Maintain original aspect ratio to avoid distortion during conversion
• →Always keep a backup of your original files before converting
• →Choose the appropriate quality settings for your specific use case

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Troubleshooting IIQ to XPM Conversion

• !XPM shows visible compression artifacts → lower the compression level or switch to a lossless variant
• !The converted XPM image looks washed out → the source IIQ likely uses a wider color space than XPM supports
• !XPM file is much larger than expected → check if the conversion preserved an unnecessarily high resolution
• !Text in the converted XPM looks fuzzy → text-heavy images benefit from higher quality settings or a different output format

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