.XFACE File Extension

X-Face Image

Developer James Ashton
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What is an XFACE file?

An XFACE file is an image saved in the X-Face file format. It contains a 48 x 48 pixel, black and white image. XFACE files were most often used as Usenet or email avatars.

More Information

In the 1990s, email and Usenet users used XFACE files to embed a 48 x 48 pixel, black and white image within their emails and forum posts. These images served as users' avatars.

To add an X-Face image to an email or post, users added the X-Face: tag and encoded text to their message or post's header. For example, the following text could be used to add an X-Face avatar to an email:

X-Face: jx]Pk"3IoM&#)a#RB6p%|EHt9%2k^EzmZke#0mq+jf=\2QMp`-E3_Uk}^UiaOy^C,YFBvkw
 HT7O6wI;]fVKq~jN?1e[(_'q8[`7c~L}[@nt|A,71:yiuL"so5hmH*]e7AEy0OIdHgq-s${x]aw1Kh
 n+<]bzbXzYT!a&~Pk7p!u?hPN,8PqMBXgjeLa|Y\[cQ-L)'X9+gVpX$/g1u^rq6Z)Sn$Yu%%jgMBNy
 $_"TIDxI5[twnaVxZPZerB#a&5"T1?_0j"3C+Zl/#)q8&7Ebrp5J^N5;"UXwCFzS<INQ"H21,~z%#y

Actual XFACE files were created by Compface, an image compression utility developed by X-Face format creator James Ashton. These files stored the encoded text that users added to their email and forum post headers.

NOTE: XFACE files are sometimes saved with the .FACE extension.

How to open an XFACE file

Most popular image viewing applications cannot open XFACE files. However, you may be able to open an XFACE file using XNView MP (cross-platform) and convert it to a more usable image format using NConvert (cross-platform). If the file does not open natively, try renaming it to use the .face extension.

Open and view .XFACE files with File Viewer Plus.Free Download

Programs that open XFACE files

Mac
Linux

Verified by FileInfo.com

The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the X-Face Image file format and Mac, Windows, and Linux apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified.

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