How to convert PNG to PGM
- Add your .PNG file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .PGM in a few seconds.
- Download your new .PGM file.
What to expect
- Colour is removed - the PNG is reduced to grayscale, keeping only brightness (luminance) values.
- PNG transparency is not supported by PGM and is dropped during conversion.
- PGM is uncompressed (one byte per pixel), so files are typically larger than the source PNG; the binary P5 form is smaller than the ASCII P2 form.
Frequently asked questions
Does PNG to PGM keep my image quality?
PGM is a grayscale format, so colour is discarded but tonal detail is kept as shades of grey. Converting a colour PNG removes hue information; converting an already-grayscale PNG keeps the tones intact.
Why convert a PNG to PGM?
PGM is a simple, fully-documented grayscale raster used mainly in image-processing pipelines and the Netpbm family, where a plain uncompressed graymap is easier to read and manipulate than a compressed PNG.
How do I open a PGM file?
Free tools such as GIMP, IrfanView, and XnView MP open PGM on Windows, Preview or GIMP on macOS, and GIMP or Netpbm on Linux. To share it widely, convert back to PNG or JPG.
Why is the PGM file larger than the PNG?
PGM stores one byte per pixel with no compression, whereas PNG compresses losslessly. As a result the PGM can be considerably larger even though it holds less information (grayscale only).
Programs that convert PNG: Adobe Photoshop · PhotoFiltre Studio · ImageJ · XnConvert · Picture Resize Free Online Images Converter · Photopea
