.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.

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 do I 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.