Manga to XTC, and what XTC actually is
XTC is the native file format of Xteink pocket readers, and it is unlike the other formats on this site. An EPUB or a CBZ carries your pages and lets the device decide how to draw them. An XTC file carries pages that have already been drawn: pre-rendered bitmaps at the exact panel size, one bit per pixel for .xtc or two bit greyscale for .xtch. That is why it loads fast on very small hardware, and also why it is rigid. The rendering decisions are baked in when the file is made, so the file is tied to the screen it was built for.
We do not convert to XTC today, and this page is not going to imply otherwise. The engine behind this site emits EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and PDF. XTC support exists as an open pull request upstream rather than as a released feature, so there is nothing for us to switch on yet. What does work right now is useful anyway: Xteink own documentation lists EPUB among the formats its readers open, and EPUB is our default output.
XTC output is coming soon
Not live yet. Convert to EPUB instead, which Xteink own documentation lists as a supported book format.
Vote for this on the roadmapWhat converts for an Xteink reader today
Convert to EPUB instead
The Xteink X3 user guide, under supported file formats, lists TXT in UTF-8 and EPUB for books. EPUB is what we emit by default, so a manga volume converted here opens on the device without XTC being involved at all.
Size the pages for a tiny screen
These are pocket readers: the X3 is 3.7 inches and the X4 Classic and X4 Pro are 4.3 inches. The XTEINK X4 profile in the upstream pull request targets 480 by 800. Choose Custom conversion and type a size in that range so pages are built for the panel rather than squeezed into it.
Split the double pages
At this screen size a two page spread is unreadable. Turn on spread splitting so each half becomes its own page, and keep right to left order on for manga so the halves arrive in the right sequence.
Vote if you want real XTC output
XTC emit is a genuine piece of work rather than a flag: it needs a bitmap rendering stage that does not exist in our pipeline. The roadmap vote is how it gets prioritised, and traffic to this page is the other half of that signal.
Why this page is honest about its limits
A converter that advertises an output it cannot produce wastes the visitor upload and their trust. This site carries a dedicated mechanism for formats that are announced before they ship, precisely because that mistake was made once already. XTC sits behind that mechanism until the pipeline can really emit it.
XTC is not Xteink only in name
Searching for XTC mostly returns a band and a recreational drug rather than a file format. If you are here looking for the Xteink container, this is the right page. The format does exist, there is an MIT licensed CBZ to XTC converter in the wild, and the upstream engine work is underway.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert manga to XTC here right now?
No. Our outputs are EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and PDF. XTC is on this page because the format is real and worth explaining, not because we can produce it. When that changes this page will say so and the converter will appear on it.
What is an XTC file, exactly?
A container of pre-rendered page bitmaps for Xteink hardware. The .xtc variant is one bit per pixel, pure black and white. The .xtch variant is two bit, giving four grey levels. Because the pages are rasterised in advance at a fixed size, the device does almost no work to display them, which is the trade the format is making.
Who actually reads XTC files?
Owners of Xteink readers, which are ultra compact e-ink devices from xteink.com: the 3.7 inch X3 and the 4.3 inch X4 Classic and X4 Pro. It is a vendor specific format, so nothing outside that hardware opens an XTC file.
Will the Xteink read something I can make today?
Yes. Xteink own X3 guide lists EPUB for books, and EPUB is our default output. Convert to EPUB at a page size near 480 by 800 and you have a readable volume on the device without waiting for XTC.
Is XTC support coming to the engine upstream?
There is an open pull request against Kindle Comic Converter titled Add XTEINK X4 support and XTC output, which would add an XTEINK X4 profile at 480 by 800 and new XTC modules. It is open and unmerged, so it is a proposal rather than a release. We track it; we are not counting on a date.
Why build a page for a format you cannot produce?
To find out whether anyone is looking for it. If people arrive here searching for XTC conversion, that is evidence worth having before the work is done. If nobody does, that is an answer too. The page states plainly what we can and cannot do, so nobody arrives expecting a conversion that does not exist.
MangaConverter runs on Kindle Comic Converter (KCC), the open source engine. KCC emits EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and PDF today; XTC output exists upstream only as an open pull request, so it is a planned addition here rather than a live one, and this page will host it once it genuinely works.