EXR to PGM: conversion guide

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What happens when you convert EXR to PGM?

EXR channels & deep data

An EXR may carry named auxiliary channels, multipart images or deep samples, beyond a flat RGB image. A rendered PGM copy is not an equivalent EXR working file. Channel selection, deep compositing and numeric mapping need explicit engine support; no export of every channel or depth sample is implemented.

Multiple source images

EXR can contain multiple image representations with different roles. These are not automatically a timed animation. Selecting an image, preserving a collection or creating several outputs needs explicit engine support; neither a first-image choice nor an all-images export is implemented.

Grayscale output

PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.

Lossless sample storage

Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning. PGM can store its supported image samples without lossy compression. This applies after rendering and sample conversion: it does not guarantee preservation of source precision, colour space or document structure, and cannot undo earlier losses.

EXR

Source

EXR

OpenEXR

Compression: Lossy & losslessTransparency: YesMetadata: Typed header attributes, Chromaticities

HDR raster data for rendering and compositing, with named channels and lossless or lossy codecs.

Explore EXR format →

PGM

Target

PGM

Portable Graymap

Compression: UncompressedTransparency: NoMetadata: Header, Comments

Portable Graymap: simple uncompressed raster samples for image-processing pipelines.

Explore PGM format →

Is EXR → PGM right for you?

Good choice when

PGM fits your delivery use: Grayscale images & masks.
You need a rendered view of selected EXR image data.
You can choose the source image or part needed for delivery.
Your processing pipeline explicitly needs grayscale samples.

Probably not when

You need every auxiliary channel or deep sample for compositing.
You require a complete collection, page set or multipart round trip.
Colour distinctions carry information you need to retain.
You need the original HDR range for relighting or grading.

Conversion considerations

An EXR may carry named auxiliary channels, multipart images or deep samples, beyond a flat RGB image. A rendered PGM copy is not an equivalent EXR working file. Channel selection, deep compositing and numeric mapping need explicit engine support; no export of every channel or depth sample is implemented.
EXR can contain multiple image representations with different roles. These are not automatically a timed animation. Selecting an image, preserving a collection or creating several outputs needs explicit engine support; neither a first-image choice nor an all-images export is implemented.
PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.
If HDR source content is exported through an SDR representation, it needs a display rendering. Values outside the output range require tone mapping, scaling or clipping; brightness relationships can change. Tone mapping, exposure and colour handling depend on the future engine. Renaming or lossless compression cannot preserve out-of-range values.
If EXR contains transparency, PGM cannot retain it as transparent output areas. Those pixels need compositing against an opaque background. Matte colour, alpha interpretation and edge treatment are future engine decisions; no background colour is selected yet.

EXR to PGM conversion details

EXR channels & deep data: An EXR may carry named auxiliary channels, multipart images or deep samples, beyond a flat RGB image. A rendered PGM copy is not an equivalent EXR working file. Channel selection, deep compositing and numeric mapping need explicit engine support; no export of every channel or depth sample is implemented.
Multiple source images: EXR can contain multiple image representations with different roles. These are not automatically a timed animation. Selecting an image, preserving a collection or creating several outputs needs explicit engine support; neither a first-image choice nor an all-images export is implemented.
Grayscale output: PGM stores one grayscale sample per pixel, with no colour channels or alpha. Colour input becomes gray; brightness depends on the colour transform and transfer-function handling chosen by the future engine. Higher maxval can retain more gray levels, but does not retain chromatic information.
HDR to SDR: If HDR source content is exported through an SDR representation, it needs a display rendering. Values outside the output range require tone mapping, scaling or clipping; brightness relationships can change. Tone mapping, exposure and colour handling depend on the future engine. Renaming or lossless compression cannot preserve out-of-range values.
Opaque output: If EXR contains transparency, PGM cannot retain it as transparent output areas. Those pixels need compositing against an opaque background. Matte colour, alpha interpretation and edge treatment are future engine decisions; no background colour is selected yet.
Lossless sample storage: Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning. PGM can store its supported image samples without lossy compression. This applies after rendering and sample conversion: it does not guarantee preservation of source precision, colour space or document structure, and cannot undo earlier losses.
Sample precision & colour: Source and target sample models can differ in precision, channel layout, colour space and transfer function. Lossless compression only preserves the samples actually encoded; a precision reduction or colour conversion can already change them. The future engine defines numeric mapping, orientation and colour conversion; canonical depth facts are listed below where available.
Metadata & colour: Format support does not guarantee that an export preserves metadata or colour profiles. Retention and colour handling depend on the future converter; its engine is not implemented yet.
Compression: EXR: Lossy & lossless → PGM: Uncompressed EXR: EXR supports lossy and lossless codecs. Choose one for the sample types and required precision; .exr alone does not guarantee exact channel preservation. PGM: Netpbm stores these samples without compression. Reducing colour, thresholding or changing maxval can still lose information before storage; text and binary representations change the layout, not its image meaning.
Transparency: EXR: Yes → PGM: No
Colour depth: EXR: HALF 16 / FLOAT 32 / UINT 32 → PGM: maxval up to 65535
HDR: EXR: Floating-point working values
Multiple images: EXR: Multipart
Dimensions: Pixel dimensions, page geometry, rendering resolution, resizing and orientation need explicit converter policies. The future engine has not defined them yet.
Metadata: EXR: Typed header attributes, Chromaticities → PGM: Header, Comments. Which fields are copied, rewritten or omitted will depend on the future engine; retention is not implemented yet.

Common questions

Will all EXR channels and deep samples survive?

Will every source image be exported?

Will PGM keep the source colours?

Are bit depth and colour values guaranteed to match?

Source and target sample models can differ in precision, channel layout, colour space and transfer function. Lossless compression only preserves the samples actually encoded; a precision reduction or colour conversion can already change them. The future engine defines numeric mapping, orientation and colour conversion; canonical depth facts are listed below where available.

Will metadata and colour profiles be retained?

EXR: Typed header attributes, Chromaticities → PGM: Header, Comments. Which fields are copied, rewritten or omitted will depend on the future engine; retention is not implemented yet.