XCF (GIMP)
Also known as: xcf file, GIMP project file, .xcf
XCF is the native project format of the GIMP image editor. It saves your full working document — layers, masks, paths, selections, and editing state — rather than a flattened picture, so XCF files are much larger than the JPEG or PNG you export from them.
- Native GIMP project format with full layers
- GIMP’s equivalent of Photoshop’s PSD
- Much larger than the exported JPEG or PNG
A working file, not a final image
When you save in GIMP, you get an .xcf file that preserves everything you can still edit: every layer, layer mask, channel, path, and the text you typed. It is the equivalent of Photoshop’s PSD for the open-source world.
Because it stores all of that editable structure instead of a single merged picture, an XCF is typically far larger than the JPEG or PNG you export when the image is done.
Why XCF files take up space
A multi-layer XCF can balloon to many times the size of its exported result, especially with high-resolution canvases and lots of layers. Keep the .xcf only while a project is in progress.
Once you have exported the finished JPEG or PNG and no longer expect to re-edit, the large XCF is usually safe to archive elsewhere or delete to reclaim space — just be sure you have the version you want to keep.