Why convert TN3 to GIF?
.tn3 is an obsolete Atari ST high-resolution bitmap that no modern software opens by default. Converting to GIF makes the image viewable in any browser or image viewer. GIF supports 1-bit monochrome palettes, making it a compatible target for TN3 images, though .png is a better choice for long-term archiving.
How to convert TN3 to GIF
XnView MP FREE
Enable 'Show all graphic formats' in Settings > General, open the .tn3 file, then go to File > Export and choose GIF as the output format.
RECOIL OPEN-SOURCE
Run recoil2png yourfile.tn3 to produce a PNG, then convert to GIF with ImageMagick (convert output.png output.gif). RECOIL does not export GIF directly.
About these formats
.TN3
Tiny High-Resolution Image (Atari ST)
A TN3 file is a "Tiny" compressed bitmap from the Atari ST computer - the high-resolution monochrome variant (640x400, black-and-white). To open one today, use RECOIL or XnView MP, both…
Open .TN3 details →
.GIF
Graphics Interchange Format
A GIF file is a raster image in Graphics Interchange Format, best known for short looping animations. Every web browser and operating system opens GIFs natively - just double-click the…
Open .GIF details →Quality & what to watch
- TN3 is a 640x400 monochrome (1-bit) image. GIF supports 1-bit black-and-white palettes, so the conversion is lossless in terms of color depth.
- PNG is a better long-term archive format than GIF for this type of image: lossless, smaller file size, and more widely supported. Convert to GIF only if the destination specifically requires it.
- The
.tnyextension is sometimes used as a generic alternative to.tn3. XnView MP with 'Show all graphic formats' will open both.
