The file extension CBR is associated with comic book archive files. It is a compressed format of files packaged together for the purpose of backup and storage. CBR files are RAR files which can be decompressed using any RAR compression utility program.
CBR files typically contain comic book images in the JPEG, GIF, or PNG formats. The files are stored in a single compressed file for use with displaying digital comic books or eBooks that have a series of pages that utilize images. If you use a compression utility program to extract the files, they will not be displayed in a book format; however, you can still view the contents of a CBR file by decompressing and extracting the files.
How to Open CBR Files
Since CBR files can be opened using a variety of different programs, you may be able to save time by double clicking on the file to see if it automatically opens in a default program. If the file was created in your PC, chances are you may have the appropriate program for opening CBR files.
If you use Windows, you can open CBR files using a decompression utility program such as WinRAR, which allows you to extract the files and then view them individually. You can also use eComic, which is an open source image viewer available as a free download on the CodePlex website. eComic will open and read CBR (RAR) files and CBZ (ZIP) files.
Other programs that will open CBR files in Windows include Manga Reader, Calibre, Comic Book Reader, and Smith Micro Stuffit Deluxe 2010.
For Mac OS X, you can open CBR files using The Unarchiver, which is a decompression utility capable of handling a variety of compressed file formats, including CBR files. You can also use Smith Micro Stuffit Deluxe 2011, Feedface FFView, or Comical to open CBR files on a Mac PC.
If you use the Linux operating system, CBR files can be opened with Calibre or Comix, which is an open source image viewer available as a free download on the SourceForge website. Comix is designed to handle comic book formats and also functions as an image reader for ZIP and RAR files.
CBR files can also be converted to another format such as EPUB using a conversion program that will convert comic book archives to the EPUB format. Comic Book Archive to EPUB Converter is a free application that will allow you to convert CBR files to EPUB eBook format. This program will also automatically format the pages of the comic book to enable them to display properly when accessed with an eBook reader.
