DEC LN03+ Sixel bitmap image file
File type: Bitmap image file
The SIXEL file extension identifies bitmap graphics encoded with the DEC ANSI/Sixel printer language for DEC LN03 and LN03+ printers.
A SIXEL file contains printer-control escape sequences and bitmap data rather than a modern, general-purpose image container.
File type category:
Bitmap image file
Date updated: September 27, 2026
DEC ANSI/Sixel was developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). ANSI escape sequences control text positioning, font selection and related printer functions; Sixel encoding adds a specialized way to represent bitmap graphics for transmission over serial connections.
Sixel output was initially used with dot-matrix printers. Digital Equipment Corporation's first desktop office laser printer, the DEC LN03, also supported the language, and the expanded-memory LN03+ could handle simple graphics. The LN03 was supported by a wide range of applications on DEC minicomputers, so other laser-printer manufacturers often provided LN03 emulation.
The LN03 was suitable for word-processing and data-processing applications, while more sophisticated graphics applications on DEC minicomputers normally used PostScript.
A SIXEL file is not normally opened in a general-purpose image viewer. Send it to a DEC LN03 or LN03+ printer, or display it through a terminal emulator that explicitly supports DEC Sixel graphics.
On systems without a compatible printer or terminal emulator, the file may appear as escape-sequence text and will not render as an image.
To create a PNG or another modern raster image, decode or render the file with a utility that explicitly supports DEC Sixel. Ordinary image converters generally do not recognize the printer-control sequences.
If no suitable decoder is available, the practical alternative is to render the file through a Sixel-capable terminal or printer and capture the resulting image. The original application may also be able to export the graphic directly in a modern image format.
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