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Q75594: PCX Image in Paintbrush Has Different Colors

Article: Q75594
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 06-NOV-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.0, 3.0a 
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SUMMARY
=======

The colors of a PCX image viewed in Windows 3.0's Paintbrush may not match the
color of the same PCX image viewed through another application.

MORE INFORMATION
================

There are several reasons for this discrepancy:

- The PCX graphical file format has no standard. It has gone through numerous
  changes dating back to the CGA (color graphics adapter). It is impossible to
  have one viewing program compatible with all these different versions.

- Individual companies implement their own standards in different ways and to
  different extents.

- Graphical standards are defined through different display adapters. Each
  display adapter has its own variation of a color palette and palette
  limitations (for example, number of colors appearing at one time).

- Windows has a graphical user interface (GUI), which is making demands on
  display adapter memory at the same time the PCX image is. The hardware or
  display driver may not be able to handle the demand.

- PCX images have a file header that contains a self-defining color table. This
  information may not transfer correctly.

- Windows has defined and was built-around a new level of graphical format, the
  device independent bitmap (DIB), which is not directly compatible with PCX.
  DIBs were designed to get beyond the problems associated with the PCX format.

REFERENCES
==========

"Microsoft Systems Journal," July 1991, pages 85-93.

Additional query words: 3.0 win30 3.00 3.00a

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin300 kbWin300a
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a

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