CompuServe RLE

CompuServe RLE is a bi-level image format that was used by the CompuServe on-line service. In some ways, it is the predecessor of GIF.

The image dimensions are 256×192 or (rarely?) 128×96. Images are RLE-compressed.

Files consist entirely of ASCII characters, though some are control characters.

Identification
Files begin with bytes (256×192) or  (128×96).

Software

 * Netpbm (starting with version 10.48): cistopbm, pbmtocis
 * Tom's Editor
 * (DOS software)
 * (DOS software)

Sample files

 * Assorted RLE Files.zip
 * ftp://8bitfiles.net/archives/compuserve-file-archive/22%20Graphics%20&%20Utilities/ → *.RLE
 * https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/compuServeRLE/

Resources

 * CompuServe standard for RLE file format (archived)