CompuServe RLE

File Format
Name	CompuServe RLE
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Graphics CompuServe RLE ; ; ;
Extension(s)	.rle
Wikidata ID	Q28205858, Q105859195
Released	≤1986

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 0x1b 'G' 'H' (256×192) or 0x1b 'G' 'M' (128×96).

Usually, 0x1b 'G' 'N' appears at or near the end of the file.