Convert XCF to APNG Online

Convert XCF to APNG Online

XCF is GIMP's working file — a layer stack, not a picture. APNG is a finished animated image with full colour and real 8-bit transparency. This page bridges the two: upload XCF files, set a frame rate, and get back a single looping PNG that opens without GIMP installed. There is one important caveat about layers, and it is worth reading before you convert. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark.

Read This First: Layered XCF Files Are Not Flattened

An XCF is decoded here as a multi-page image, one page per layer, and only the first page is used — which is the bottom layer of your stack. Anything painted on the layers above it is not composited in and does not appear in the output. If your XCF is a photo with text on top, you get the photo without the text.

We verified this on a two-layer test file: the bottom layer's content came through and the upper layer's content was absent from the finished APNG.

So, before uploading:

• Multi-layer XCF: flatten it in GIMP first (Image ▸ Flatten Image, or Image ▸ Merge Visible Layers) and save a copy, or simply export the composite as a PNG and use PNG to APNG instead.
• Single-layer XCF: nothing to do — it converts exactly as you would expect.
• A layer per animation frame: export each layer as its own file from GIMP, then upload those files here in order. Uploading the one layered XCF will not turn its layers into frames.

How to Convert XCF to APNG

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop or click to browse; only .xcf input is accepted. Flatten layered projects in GIMP first (Image → Flatten Image, then re-save the .xcf) — a multi-layer XCF is read as a multi-page image and a single layer is written, not the merged canvas. The order you add files is the order they play, so arrange the sequence before converting.
2. Choose Combine?: Single animation is preselected and turns every uploaded file into one frame of one APNG. Individual files gives you a separate output per input instead.
3. Set the Framerate: The Framerate dropdown opens on 10 FPS (Recommended) and runs from 1 FPS (Slideshow) to 50 FPS (Max Speed). Each frame is stamped with an exact 1/N-second delay, so 5 FPS holds each drawing for 200 ms and 25 FPS gives fluid motion at five times the frame count.
4. Set Resolution and Convert: Keep original is preselected; Resolution Percentage, a Preset Resolution (height-based, width follows the source aspect) or an explicit Width × Height all work, and also normalise differently-sized files onto one shared canvas. Click Convert and download the .apng.

What Comes Out

APNG vs GIF for XCF Artwork

If you need the widest possible compatibility instead, XCF to GIF assembles the same set of files as a GIF; for a single flat picture, XCF to PNG is the simpler route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my text layer / top layer missing from the output?

Because a layered XCF is not composited before conversion — it is read as a multi-page image and only the first page, the bottom layer, is used. This is the single most common surprise on this page. Flatten the image in GIMP (Image ▸ Flatten Image) and save a copy before uploading, or export the composite as a PNG and convert that.

Will the layers in my XCF become the frames of the animation?

No. Layers are not turned into frames here; only the bottom one is read at all. To animate a layered file, export each layer to its own PNG or XCF from GIMP, then upload those files in the order you want them played with Combine? set to Single animation.

I uploaded one XCF and nothing animates. Is it broken?

No — that is the expected result. A single image gives the assembler one frame, and one frame is not an animation, so it writes a plain lossless PNG under the .apng name. The file opens anywhere PNG is supported and keeps its transparency; it just does not move. Upload two or more files to get an actual loop.

Does the transparency in my XCF survive?

Yes. XCF stores a per-pixel alpha channel and APNG supports full 8-bit alpha, so semi-transparent pixels and anti-aliased edges come through unchanged. We confirmed the transparent regions of a test XCF were still transparent in the finished file. That fidelity is the main argument for APNG over GIF here — GIF's single-bit transparency turns a soft edge into a jagged fringe.

Why convert XCF at all instead of just opening it?

Because XCF is a working format, not a delivery format. It mirrors GIMP's internal structures, it changes between GIMP versions, and outside GIMP almost nothing reads it reliably. Converting produces a file that any browser, chat client or image viewer can display without knowing anything about GIMP.

Does the conversion lose quality?

The APNG stage is lossless — the rendered frame is stored as-is, with no palette reduction and no lossy re-compression. The realistic sources of loss are elsewhere: rendering to 8 bits per channel, any resolution reduction you apply, and — the big one — layers above the bottom being dropped entirely, which is a content loss rather than a quality loss.

What framerate should I pick for hand-drawn frames?

For frame-by-frame animation, 10 to 12 FPS reads as deliberate hand-drawn motion and keeps the file manageable — 12 FPS is the "on twos" rate, one drawing every second frame of 24 fps film. Drop to 2–5 FPS for a slideshow of stills, and go to 24–25 FPS only when you have enough distinct drawings to justify it; every extra frame is stored in full, so the file grows in step with the count.

Which browsers and apps can play the finished APNG?

Chrome 59 and later, Firefox 3 and later, Safari 8 and later, Edge 79 and later, and Opera 46 and later — roughly 95.94% of global traffic according to caniuse. Anything older shows the still image instead of animating, which the W3C PNG Third Edition Recommendation of 24 June 2025 defines as the correct fallback for a decoder that does not understand the animation chunks.