Image MIME Reference
Corel-CMX
Corel Metafile Exchange
image/x-cmx
VS
Olympus Raw Format
image/x-olympus-orf
Olympus-ORF
A complete technical comparison of Corel Metafile Exchange and Olympus Raw Format — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | Corel-CMX | Olympus-ORF |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | Yes |
Corel Metafile Exchange
image/x-cmx
Extension
.cmx
Container
RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format)
Compression
Uncompressed Vector Commands / Embedded Raster Compression (Optional)
Algorithm
None (Vector)
Color Depth
Vector Data, Supports embedded bitmaps
Developed by
Corel Corporation
Released
Mid-1990s
Magic Bytes
52 49 46 46 (skip 4) 43 4D 58 31
Olympus Raw Format
image/x-olympus-orf
Extension
.orf
Container
TIFF-based (with proprietary variants)
Compression
Uncompressed / Proprietary Lossless
Algorithm
NoneOlympus Proprietary Lossless
Color Depth
12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Olympus Corporation (Now OM Digital Solutions)
Released
2000
Magic Bytes
49 49 52 4F (IIRO) or 4D 4D 4F 52 (MMOR) or 49 49 53 52 (IIRS)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | Corel-CMX | Olympus-ORF |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
Corel-CMX
Corel-CMX Strengths
- Preserves rich vector attributes and layer groupings native to the Corel drawing engine better than standard WMF files
- Significantly smaller footprint than full CDR project files, making it excellent for early CD-ROM clip art distribution
- Maintains decent support in the open-source community thanks to libraries like libcdr
Limitations
- Proprietary format strictly tied to Corel's ecosystem, often causing compatibility issues with Adobe software
- Zero support in web browsers; must be converted to SVG for modern web usage
- Largely obsolete for modern workflows, superseded by PDF and SVG
Olympus-ORF
Olympus-ORF Strengths
- Retains maximum sensor data, allowing extreme recovery of highlights and shadows that would be permanently lost in a JPEG
- White balance, sharpening, and color profiling are saved as metadata instructions, meaning they can be completely altered in post-production
- Unique magic byte signatures make programmatic file sniffing highly reliable compared to other camera manufacturers' TIFF-spoofing headers
Limitations
- Proprietary format means it requires constant updates to raw processing engines every time a new camera model is released
- Produces very large file sizes (often 15MB to 30MB+ per image depending on sensor resolution)
- Cannot be directly embedded into web pages or used in standard HTML/CSS contexts
When to choose which format
Corel-CMX
Use Corel-CMX when…
- Legacy CorelDRAW Clip Art Collections
- Vector Graphic Exchange within Corel Suite
- Historical Desktop Publishing Assets
Olympus-ORF
Use Olympus-ORF when…
- Professional Digital Photography
- Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging Archival