GIMP is replacing XCF with a zipped-XML project format

GIMP's development update for August 2026 says the biggest current effort is a new project file format to succeed XCF, which has been the program's primary format since 1997. Maintainer Jehan is designing it as a "zipped XML" structure rather than XCF's single binary blob. The stated motivation is practical: XCF struggles with very large or complex projects, including the multi-page and animation features planned for GIMP 3.6, and rewriting the whole file on every save blocks features like auto-save. The new layout allows updating only the parts that changed.

For anyone with an archive of .xcf files, the compatibility story is explicit — GIMP will keep loading XCF in all future versions, and the team cites a 1998 logo file that still renders identically today. The catch is forward-looking: new features will only be saveable and loadable in the new format once it's finalized.

The other notable item is PSD interoperability. Jacob Boerema implemented import support for Descriptors, an under-documented Adobe text format that modern PSDs use for many features and which isn't covered by the public spec's last 2019 revision. With Descriptors readable, PSD text layers are now editable, some adjustment layers and layer styles map to GEGL equivalents, and solid color shapes import as vector layers. Separately, Alx Sa has started porting file dialogs to GTK3's native chooser, so Windows, macOS, and KDE users see their platform's dialog.

Timing is unsettled. There is no 3.3.2 development release yet — several roadmap items remain in progress — and the new format's technical details are still being designed. A stable 3.2.6 is planned "in the coming weeks" with bug fixes rather than these features.