What is the .pct file extension?
The .pct file extension is an acronym for PiCTure and is a format associated with the Macintosh Picture Drawing. These are image files which are created using the applications which are designed for the Mac OS.
What is the .pct file extension used for?
The .pct file extension format or PICT format was developed by Apple Macintosh in the year 1984. It was a metafile container element which recorded a series of images created using the Apple QuickDraw application. Apple QuickDraw was a 2D graphics library which was a part of the Apple Macintosh OS and was derived from the Apple?s application Lisa. The image data was represented in 2 formats:
- PICT 1 ? This was the original format developed for QuickDraw which was used to create images using 8 colors. It was first released with QuickDraw version 1 and was supported on the monochrome graphics (black and white) with 72DPI as its fixed resolution.
- PICT 2 ? This was a newer format released for QuickDraw version 2 which was developed for color monitors. This color format had 256 colors and was represented in a palette and supported multiple resolutions. The PICT 2 format was updated to support 24 and 32-bit colors and included support for raster and vector images.
The .pct file extension format was used to represent Bitmap which was compressed using the PackBits compression algorithm. The JPEG compression algorithm was used once the QuickTime application was included in Mac OS.
What are the different kinds of software used to open .pct file extensions?
The .pct file extension can be opened using applications designed for Mac systems. It can also be opened using applications for Windows. This format has been discontinued by Apple and is replaced by the new Quartz graphics system. The .pdf format is more widely used instead of the .pct file extension format in Windows and other operating systems. Some of these software are listed below ?
Mac and Windows
- Apple Preview
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Adobe Illustrator
- XnView
Windows Only
- CoreDraw
- Corel PaintShop
- IrfanView
FileCure Software ? FileCure is a powerful application which can open every kind of file format and this software can be used to open files with the .pct file extension. It is widely used to fix file association errors.