What is CBZ?

CBZ (Comic Book ZIP) files are standard ZIP archives renamed with .cbz extension, containing sequential comic page images in numerical order. Like CBR, it's simply a container format - comic readers extract and display the images page-by-page. CBZ uses the open ZIP standard rather than proprietary RAR, making it more accessible and faster to extract. The format can include ComicInfo.xml metadata for title, author, series info, and reading direction (left-to-right or right-to-left for manga).

CBZ is increasingly preferred over CBR due to ZIP being an open standard with universal support. Used by digital comic publishers, comic archivists, manga readers, and webtoon distributors. All major comic reader applications support CBZ, including Calibre for library management. CBZ is ideal for creating and distributing comics since anyone can open ZIP files without proprietary software. Popular on tablets and e-readers for graphic novel reading.

Did you know? CBZ is preferred over CBR because ZIP is free and open-source!

History

CBZ emerged alongside CBR in the 1990s comic scanning community, with ZIP chosen as an open-source alternative to proprietary RAR compression.

Key Milestones

  • 1989: ZIP format created (PKZIP)
  • Late 1990s: CBZ adoption begins
  • 2005: ComicInfo.xml metadata standard
  • 2010: Tablet comic reading growth
  • 2015: Preferred over CBR format
  • Present: Primary comic format

Key Features

Core Capabilities

  • ZIP Standard: Open format
  • Universal Support: Built-in OS tools
  • Fast Extraction: Faster than RAR
  • Metadata: ComicInfo.xml support
  • Cross-Platform: All devices
  • Easy Creation: Any ZIP tool works

Common Use Cases

Comic Reading

Digital comic books

Manga

Japanese comics

Webtoons

Digital-first comics

E-Readers

Tablet comic reading

Advantages

  • Open ZIP standard (free)
  • Universal compatibility
  • Faster extraction than RAR
  • Built-in OS support
  • Easy to create anywhere
  • ComicInfo.xml metadata
  • Preferred by publishers

Disadvantages

  • Slightly worse compression than RAR
  • No DRM protection
  • No interactive elements
  • Fixed resolution images
  • Larger files than modern formats
  • Not ideal for color-rich comics

Technical Information

Format Specifications

Specification Details
File Extension .cbz
MIME Type application/x-cbz
Base Format ZIP archive
Contents Sequential images + metadata
Image Formats JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF
Metadata ComicInfo.xml (optional)

Common Tools

  • Desktop: YACReader, Calibre, ComicRack, CDisplayEx
  • Mobile: Panels (iOS), Tachiyomi (Android), Perfect Viewer
  • Servers: Komga, Kavita, Ubooquity
  • Creation: Any ZIP tool, Calibre, comic converter scripts