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Image MIME Reference
Fuji-RAF

Fujifilm RAW Image

image/x-fuji-raf
VS

X Pixmap

image/x-xpixmap
XPM

A complete technical comparison of Fujifilm RAW Image and X Pixmap — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature Fuji-RAF XPM
Transparency (Alpha) ✕ No Yes
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes ✕ No
EXIF Metadata Yes ✕ No
ICC Color Profile Yes ✕ No
Fujifilm RAW Image
image/x-fuji-raf
Extension
.raf
Container Proprietary RAF Container
Compression Uncompressed / Lossless Compressed / Lossy Compressed (Modern firmware)
Algorithm
NoneProprietary LosslessProprietary Lossy
Color Depth 14-bit (Per Channel - X-Series), 16-bit (Per Channel - GFX Series)
Developed by Fujifilm Corporation
Released 2000
Magic Bytes
46 55 4A 49 46 49 4C 4D 43 43 44 2D 52 41 57 20
Full Fuji-RAF reference →
X Pixmap
image/x-xpixmap
Extension
.xpm
Container C Source Code Header (.c / .h)
Compression Uncompressed (Source Code)
Algorithm
None
Color Depth Indexed Color (Custom Palette with RGB and Alpha 'None')
Developed by Daniel Dardailler and Colas Nahaboo (Bull / X Consortium)
Released 1989
Magic Bytes
2F 2A 20 58 50 4D 20 2A 2F (ASCII '/* XPM */')
Full XPM reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser Fuji-RAF XPM
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕
✓
Fuji-RAF

Fuji-RAF Strengths

  • Retains absolute maximum sensor data, enabling massive shadow recovery and highlight protection compared to compressed in-camera JPEGs
  • Stores proprietary Fujifilm Film Simulation metadata (like Classic Chrome or Acros), allowing editors to perfectly replicate in-camera aesthetics
  • Very distinct and reliable magic header makes programmatic file detection foolproof
Limitations
  • Proprietary format requires continuous updates to third-party software (like Lightroom) whenever Fujifilm releases a new camera
  • The X-Trans sensor matrix requires highly specialized demosaicing algorithms that are extremely computationally expensive, leading to slower import and rendering times
  • Completely unsupported in standard web browsers and basic operating system image viewers
XPM

XPM Strengths

  • Can be compiled directly into C or C++ source code without requiring an external asset loading mechanism
  • Human-readable palette mapping allows developers to inspect, modify, or hand-craft icons directly within a text editor
  • Native support for color palettes and transparency via the 'None' keyword
Limitations
  • Extremely inefficient storage structure for large images, resulting in massive file bloat compared to binary formats like PNG
  • Completely obsolete and unsupported in modern web browsers
  • Parsing overhead requires compiling or interpreting text-based color tables at runtime

When to choose which format

Fuji-RAF
Use Fuji-RAF when…
  • Professional Digital Photography
  • Fujifilm X-Trans Sensor Image Archival
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Post-Processing
XPM
Use XPM when…
  • X Window System (X11) Application Icons and Cursors
  • Embedded C/C++ Firmware Color UI Assets
  • Early Linux Desktop Environment Themes

More comparisons

Fuji-RAF vs ACES → XPM vs ACES → Fuji-RAF vs APNG → XPM vs APNG → Fuji-RAF vs AVCI → XPM vs AVCI → Fuji-RAF vs AVCS → XPM vs AVCS → Fuji-RAF vs AVIF → XPM vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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