Comic Packager

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Cross-platform desktop app to pack comic and manga images into CBZ or CBR, with a visual page editor and ComicInfo.xml metadata that modern readers understand.

Windows · Linux · macOS · Avalonia / .NET · MIT

Download the latest release

What it does

Drop a folder with scans in it, reorder them, mark the cover, fill series/title/number, choose CBZ or CBR, and pack. The file gets a valid ComicInfo.xml at the root so modern readers can read the metadata.

You get	Details
Visual editor	Import files or a folder, drag & drop, reorder in a grid, mark the cover
Real formats	CBZ = ZIP. CBR = real RAR (only if the rar binary is installed). A ZIP is never renamed to .cbr
ComicInfo.xml	UTF-8, Anansi / ComicInfo v2.0–v2.1 schema
Manga RTL	Right-to-left reading flag when the type is Manga
Sensible ZIP	STORE for images (already compressed), fast DEFLATE for the XML
Predictable names	0001.jpg, 0002.png, … (4-digit padding, original extension kept)

Who it is for

• People who have a folder of scans and want a proper .cbz / .cbr without a command line
• Collectors who care about ComicInfo.xml (series, number, writer, manga direction)
• Anyone who does not want a fake CBR (ZIP with a .cbr extension)

Usage

1. Add images: individual files, a folder, or drag & drop.
2. Reorder pages in the grid if needed.
3. Mark the cover.
4. Fill the metadata. For manga, enable right-to-left reading.
5. Choose CBZ or CBR.
6. Click Package and pick a destination.
7. The app writes ComicInfo.xml at the archive root while packing.

Shortcuts: Ctrl+O add · Delete remove selection · Ctrl+Enter package.

Supported formats

Format	What it is	When to use it
CBZ	ZIP with a .cbz extension	Default. No extra software. Works everywhere.
CBR	Real RAR with a .cbr extension	Only if WinRAR / RARLAB rar is on your PATH. Otherwise CBR is disabled and the UI explains why.

Install

1. Open the latest release.
2. Download the build for your OS.
3. For CBR on top of CBZ, install WinRAR or the RARLAB rar CLI and make sure rar is on your PATH.

Building from source (contributors):

git clone https://github.com/rodoac89/comic-packager.git
cd comic-packager
dotnet restore
dotnet test
dotnet run --project src/ComicPackager.App

Needs the .NET 10 SDK. Linux also needs libicu and the native Skia libraries Avalonia ships when you publish.

FAQ

How do I create a CBZ/CBR from images?

Add the pages (folder or drag & drop), order them, fill metadata, choose CBZ, click Package.

What is ComicInfo.xml?

A small XML file inside the archive with title, series, number, writer, language, manga direction, and so on. Readers use it to sort and display the book. Comic Packager writes ComicInfo v2.0–v2.1 at the root of the file created.

CBZ vs CBR?

CBZ is a ZIP file. CBR is a RAR file. Most readers open both. CBZ is the better default: no extra tools, easier to open and repair. Use CBR only if you specifically need RAR.

Do you create fake CBR files?

No. If rar is missing, CBR is disabled. The app never writes a ZIP and renames it to .cbr.

Can I pack manga with right-to-left reading?

Yes. Set the type to Manga and enable RTL. That flag goes into ComicInfo.xml.

Which readers is this meant for?

Any reader that opens CBZ/CBR and reads ComicInfo.xml.

Technical details

Each generated archive contains:

• Image files: 0001.jpg, 0002.png, … (4-digit padding; original extension kept)
• ComicInfo.xml (UTF-8, Anansi / ComicInfo v2.0–v2.1)
• ZIP compression: STORE for images, fast DEFLATE for the XML

Project layout

comic-packager/
├── ComicPackager.slnx
├── src/
│   ├── ComicPackager.Core/          # domain, no UI
│   │   ├── Models/                  # PageItem, ComicMetadata, formats
│   │   ├── Import/                  # natural sort, import, reorder
│   │   ├── Metadata/                # ComicInfo.xml + file name
│   │   ├── Packing/                 # CBZ (ZIP), CBR (rar), validation
│   │   └── Thumbnails/              # on-disk cache, bounded decode
│   └── ComicPackager.App/           # Avalonia UI (MVVM)
├── tests/ComicPackager.Tests/
├── examples/                        # sample ComicInfo RTL / LTR
└── packaging/                       # installer notes

Build installers

Details in packaging/. Summary:

# Windows (portable folder; MSI/EXE via WiX or Inno Setup)
dotnet publish src/ComicPackager.App -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true -o dist/win

# Linux
dotnet publish src/ComicPackager.App -c Release -r linux-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -o dist/linux

# macOS
dotnet publish src/ComicPackager.App -c Release -r osx-arm64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -o dist/osx

• Linux: AppImage (packaging/linux) or .deb
• Windows: Inno Setup / WiX for .exe or .msi (packaging/windows)
• macOS: .app + .dmg (packaging/macos)

Dependencies and licenses

Component	License	Notes
Avalonia UI	MIT	UI
CommunityToolkit.Mvvm	MIT	MVVM
SkiaSharp	MIT	Thumbnails and corrupt-file detection
.NET / System.IO.Compression	MIT	CBZ
rar (RARLAB / WinRAR)	Proprietary	Not bundled. Install it yourself if you want CBR.

This project is MIT.

Known issues

See docs/KNOWN_ISSUES.md.

Made in Chile 🇨🇱