What is CBR?

CBR (Comic Book RAR) files are standard RAR archives renamed with .cbr extension, containing sequential comic book page images (typically JPEG or PNG files numbered 001.jpg, 002.jpg, etc.). Comic reader software reads the archive and displays images in order, allowing page-by-page navigation. CBR is essentially just a container - the actual comic content is the images inside. RAR compression keeps file sizes manageable while preserving image quality.

CBR is the most common format for digital comic book distribution and archival. Used by comic collectors, manga readers, and digital comic stores. Compatible with dedicated comic readers like CDisplay, ComicRack, YACReader, and mobile apps like Chunky (iOS) and Perfect Viewer (Android). CBR works well for scanned physical comics and professionally published digital comics. Can be read on tablets, phones, and computers.

Did you know? CBR is just a RAR file - rename .cbr to .rar to extract images!

History

CBR emerged from the comic scanning community in the 1990s as a convenient way to package and distribute sequential comic pages in a single compressed file.

Key Milestones

  • 1995: RAR format created
  • Late 1990s: CBR convention adopted
  • 2003: CDisplay popularizes format
  • 2008: Mobile comic reader apps
  • 2012: Tablet reading boom
  • Present: Standard comic format

Key Features

Core Capabilities

  • RAR Compression: Smaller file sizes
  • Sequential Images: Page-by-page reading
  • Single File: Easy distribution
  • Image Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF support
  • Universal: Wide software support
  • Metadata: Can include ComicInfo.xml

Common Use Cases

Digital Comics

Comic book reading

Manga

Japanese manga collections

Archival

Comic preservation

Mobile Reading

Tablet/phone comics

Advantages

  • Universal comic reader support
  • Good compression (RAR)
  • Simple container format
  • Preserves image quality
  • Easy to create and distribute
  • Works on all platforms
  • Can extract images easily

Disadvantages

  • RAR is proprietary format
  • Larger than CBZ sometimes
  • Requires RAR extraction tool
  • No DRM protection
  • No interactive features
  • Fixed image quality

Technical Information

Format Specifications

Specification Details
File Extension .cbr
MIME Type application/x-cbr
Base Format RAR archive
Contents Sequential image files
Image Formats JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP
Metadata Optional ComicInfo.xml

Common Tools

  • Desktop: CDisplayEx, ComicRack, YACReader, Calibre
  • Mobile: Chunky (iOS), Perfect Viewer (Android), Panels
  • Web: Komga server, Ubooquity
  • Creation: WinRAR, 7-Zip, comic converter tools