What is a CBR File?
A CBR file is a comic book archive file. It is sometimes referred to as a comic book reader file and it serves the purpose of viewing images on comic books sequentially. A typical CBR file is composed of several graphic or image files that are stored into one RAR or archived file. These images may be of the lossy compression type such as JPEGs or of the lossless compression type such as PNG files. But aside from generic comic books, CBR files may also be used in viewing multiple pages in a collection. CBR file archives may also contain static GIF graphic formats. Typical of archive files, CBR files also take care of automating the order of pages, alphabetically or numerically.

CDisplay is the first Windows utility that supports viewing of the contents of a CBR file. CDisplay is a utility feature of Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and allows for viewing graphics and images one at a time, just like browsing through a paper-based comic book or magazine. By means of a single key press or button, pages may be “flipped” or changed. CDisplay also allows the readers to have some options with regards to displaying the images. By means of resizing tools, one page may be set to contain two image files at the same time. And with the same resizing options, readers can also display the images inside the CBR files into a full window screen. Because of this Windows utility, many were able to easily accept the electronic way of reading and/or displaying images from a comic book file or CBR file.

Besides CDisplay, various other software and applications are able to open CBR files. Under the Mac OS platform, CBR files can be opened using Feedface FFView, The Unarchiver, and Smith Micro Stufflt Deluxe. Comix is the compatible software when using the Linux platform. On Microsoft Windows, CBR files may be opened with CDisplayEx, Comical, Manga Reader, eComic, and WinRAR among others.