Opening PICT (PCT) files on a Mac running Big Sur

Question

Opening PICT (PCT) files on a Mac running Big Sur

Any suggestions on how to open these old files (other than Graphic Converter)? Preview, Photoshop etc. all fail - they just open the picture as a white rectangle.

iMac 27″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Dec 8, 2020 3:49 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 8, 2020 4:18 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks - you are right, GraphicConverter works well, and I see it has an open ended trial period, so ok for just checking a few ancient pictures. Paid version ($40) quite a lot, but guess a lot of work has gone into it.

Sorry, but Preview, QuickView etc. do not open PICT files under Big Sur for me . . .

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

124,637 points

Dec 8, 2020 4:21 AM in response to rrfrombellville

rrfrombellville wrote:

Sorry, but Preview, QuickView etc. do not open PICT files under Big Sur for me . . .

No need to be sorry. I checked a couple of my Macs running Big Sur, an iMac Pro and an M1 MBA. They open fine for me. The screen shot I posted was from the iMac Pro.

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Answer 3

Dec 8, 2020 4:37 AM in response to dialabrain

Oh well - must be something my end. All I get is white rectangles if I try opening under Preview or use the spacebar on the files.

A mystery, I guess . . . Maybe something to do with a data fork missing or whatever?

GraphicConverter changed them to JPG, and that works for me. People on the internet also mention the white rectangle issue, so suppose it is not just me.

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Answer 4

dialabrain

Level 10

124,637 points

Dec 8, 2020 4:43 AM in response to rrfrombellville

As long as you have a solution. I didn't have any .pct files handy so I downloaded a sampling from a few sites. Perhaps there was an even older version of .pct files that wouldn't open for me had I found them.

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