Chip in

GIF to PGM converter

Convert GIF to PGM in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your image never leaves your device.

Last updated

Quick answer: To convert GIF to PGM, add the GIF file to the iHateFiles GIF to PGM converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. GIF carries transparency and PGM cannot, so transparent areas are filled with a background colour you choose.

Should you convert GIF to PGM?

Do this when the image is going somewhere that will not accept GIF, and you are content to fix the background colour permanently.

Nothing is discarded

GIF and PGM are both lossless, so every pixel survives the move intact. Convert back and forth as often as you like; the image does not degrade.

PGM cannot hold transparency

Any transparent area in the GIF has to become a real colour, because PGM has no alpha channel to record it. The background colour on this page is what those areas become. White suits most uses; pick the colour of the page it will sit on if you know it, because this cannot be undone afterwards.

PGM holds one frame

An animated GIF becomes a single still PGM: the first frame, with the rest discarded. If you wanted the movement, convert to a format that keeps it instead.

GIF and PGM side by side

 GIFPGM
CompressionLosslessLossless
TransparencyYesNo
AnimationYesNo
Written hereYesYes

What usually goes wrong

About the GIF. A ten-second GIF is often larger than the MP4 it came from and looks considerably worse. The 256 colour limit, not the length, is what does the damage.

About the PGM. Converting a colour image to PGM throws the colour away for good. Keep the original if you might want it back.

How to convert GIF to PGM

  1. Add your GIF file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
  2. Check the settings. The output format is already set to PGM.
  3. Press convert and the PGM file is saved back to your device.

Convert PGM to GIF instead

About GIF files

Questions

How do I convert GIF to PGM?

Open this page, add your GIF file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.

Is this GIF to PGM converter free?

Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.

Is there a file size limit?

No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.

Will converting to PGM lose quality?

PGM compresses without loss, but it first reduces the image to greyscale, discarding all colour. Flat colour and line art come through unchanged; a photograph will band and lose subtlety.

Can I convert several GIF files at once?

Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.