Image MIME Reference
EDMICS-RLC
Fuji Xerox EDMICS-RLC
image/vnd.fujixerox.edmics-rlc
VS
Silicon Graphics Image
image/sgi
SGI
A complete technical comparison of Fuji Xerox EDMICS-RLC and Silicon Graphics Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | EDMICS-RLC | SGI |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | Yes |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | ✕ No |
Fuji Xerox EDMICS-RLC
image/vnd.fujixerox.edmics-rlc
Extension
.rlc.edm
Container
Fuji Xerox EDMICS Wrapper
Compression
Run-Length Coding (RLC / RLE)
Algorithm
Run-Length Coding (RLC)
Color Depth
1-bit (Monochrome), 8-bit (Grayscale)
Developed by
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
Released
1990s
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary Container)
Silicon Graphics Image
image/sgi
Extension
.sgi.rgb.rgba.bw.int.inta
Container
SGI Image Format
Compression
Uncompressed / Lossless (Run-Length Encoding)
Algorithm
RLENone
Color Depth
8-bit, 16-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Paul Haeberli (Silicon Graphics)
Released
1990
Magic Bytes
01 DA
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | EDMICS-RLC | SGI |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
EDMICS-RLC
EDMICS-RLC Strengths
- Simple, computationally inexpensive Run-Length Coding enabled rapid compression and decompression on low-power legacy hardware
- Deeply integrated into Fuji Xerox enterprise hardware for seamless, automated scan-to-archive workflows
Limitations
- Completely proprietary and closed-source, making modern archival extraction and migration extremely difficult
- No support in modern image processing libraries like ImageMagick, libvips, or standard viewers without bespoke decoding tools
- RLC compression is far less efficient than modern algorithms like PNG (Deflate) for complex documents
SGI
SGI Strengths
- Pioneered multi-channel and 16-bit per channel imaging capabilities required for high-end 1990s visual effects
- Extremely robust and simple header structure
- Reliable Run-Length Encoding provided solid lossless compression for flat-shaded 3D renders
Limitations
- Completely obsolete for modern web and application development
- Zero native web browser compatibility
- Largely replaced by TIFF and OpenEXR in modern professional VFX and 3D pipelines
When to choose which format
EDMICS-RLC
Use EDMICS-RLC when…
- Fuji Xerox EDMICS Enterprise Systems
- Archival of Scanned Engineering Documents
- Legacy Corporate Scanning Pipelines
SGI
Use SGI when…
- Legacy 3D Animation & VFX
- Silicon Graphics IRIX Workflows
- Historical CGI Archiving