AFX File

What are AFX files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AFX file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your AFX files.

What is an AFX file?

AFX files have multiple uses, and AFX Compressed Data is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

AFX Compressed Data

AFX Compressed Data files are a single-file compression format developed for the Atari ST family. These files are used to store ordinary data files (not executables) in compressed form, so that the data remains usable by programs without manual unpacking. The compression uses LHarc's lh5/LZ5 algorithm and is handled transparently by a utility called AFX (Automatic File Extractor) so that when a program reads a compressed file, AFX uncompresses it in memory on demand.

These files are generated by running LHarc version 2.01d with the "compress" command (typically "c") to produce LZ5-packed files using the AFX extension. AFX occupies modest memory and replaces fread/fseek/open/close operations so that other programs on the Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon030 can read compressed files without changes.

AFX Compressed Data files can be recognized internally by the signature "-afx-" in ASCII starting at byte offset 2, and carry a valid LHarc header indicating lh5 (also called LZ5) compression.

How to open AFX files

Important: Different programs may use files with the AFX file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your AFX file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested five different AFX openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

All known file formats using extension .AFX

While AFX Compressed Data is a popular type of AFX-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .AFX file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

AnFX Java Movie

We know that one AFX format is AnFX Java Movie. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Auto FX PhotoGraphic Edges Image

Auto FX PhotoGraphic Edges Image is a proprietary raster image format used exclusively by the Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges software by Auto FX Software. These files store overlay effects - such as edges, frames, or textures - that are applied to photographs to enhance their appearance. The file contains the effect image itself, which is intended to be composited over another image rather than serving as a normal standalone picture.

These files are created when using the Photo/Graphic Edges program (either as a standalone or plugin) to define or save a custom effect overlay. The program writes the overlay image data and any associated effect parameters into the .AFX file. When later used, Photo/Graphic Edges reads the .AFX file and applies the stored effect settings onto a base photograph. Because .AFX is proprietary, full fidelity - including blend mode or effect layer settings - typically requires the Auto FX software to interpret correctly.

ImageGear (a library by Accusoft) supports reading .AFX files. According to its documentation, .AFX files begin with a small custom header followed by a standard JPEG datastream. The image data inside is lossy-compressed JPEG, RGB, 24 bits per pixel; there is no support for alpha transparency or multiple pages.

The file format has identifiable byte signatures. One signature begins at offset 0 with the bytes 0x884047590C0B1B0B000101020101050101, and another at offset 20 begins the sequence 0x010001000103A8214074756E21472E59212C21426E73646D214D6862646F726421383701010101010101010101010101010101...

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of AFX files. Remember, different programs may use AFX files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about AFX file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.