Multiple source images
Only one image is decoded; a concatenated image sequence is not exported as a complete set.
Convert PGM to PBM
- In your browser
- No upload
- Private by design
What happens when you convert PGM to PBM?
Only black & white
Output has only black and white pixels. The threshold defaults to 128 and is adjustable in Advanced options; gray levels and colour are lost.
No new colour information
The source stores grayscale or bitonal values. A colour-capable PBM can represent these tones, but conversion cannot infer original scene colours or recover missing intermediate shades. Colourisation would be a separate image-editing operation.
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. PBM 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.
PGM
Source
PGM
Portable Graymap
Compression: UncompressedTransparency: NoMetadata: Header, Comments
Portable Graymap: simple uncompressed raster samples for image-processing pipelines.
Explore PGM format →PBM
Target
PBM
Portable Bitmap
Compression: UncompressedTransparency: NoMetadata: Header, Comments
Portable Bitmap: simple uncompressed raster samples for image-processing pipelines.
Explore PBM format →Is PGM → PBM right for you?
Good choice when
- PBM fits your delivery use: Bitonal line art & binary masks.
- You can choose the source image or part needed for delivery.
- Your destination needs a bitonal mask or black-and-white bitmap.
- You need the existing gray or binary image in a compatible delivery format.
Probably not when
- You require a complete collection, page set or multipart round trip.
- You need continuous tones or colour.
- You expect automatic colourisation or reconstruction of absent tones.
- You expect lossless encoding to restore lost details or editing structure.
PGM to PBM conversion details
- Multiple source images
- Only one image is decoded; a concatenated image sequence is not exported as a complete set.
- Only black & white
- Output has only black and white pixels. The threshold defaults to 128 and is adjustable in Advanced options; gray levels and colour are lost.
- No new colour information
- The source stores grayscale or bitonal values. A colour-capable PBM can represent these tones, but conversion cannot infer original scene colours or recover missing intermediate shades. Colourisation would be a separate image-editing operation.
- 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. PBM 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
- Pixel conversion only. Original EXIF, GPS, XMP and ICC profiles are not copied; processing uses 8-bit display pixels.
- Metadata & colour
- Pixel conversion only. Original EXIF, GPS, XMP and ICC profiles are not copied; processing uses 8-bit display pixels.
- Compression
- PGM: Uncompressed → PBM: Uncompressed 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. PBM: 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.
- Colour depth
- PGM: maxval up to 65535 → PBM: 1 bit/pixel
- Dimensions
- Rendered image dimensions are retained within the converter limits; this tool does not offer resizing. Orientation handling depends on the source decoder.
- Metadata
- Pixel conversion only. Original EXIF, GPS, XMP and ICC profiles are not copied; processing uses 8-bit display pixels.
Common questions
Will every source image be exported?
Only one image is decoded; a concatenated image sequence is not exported as a complete set.
Can PBM retain gray shading?
Output has only black and white pixels. The threshold defaults to 128 and is adjustable in Advanced options; gray levels and colour are lost.
Can conversion restore colour or missing shades?
The source stores grayscale or bitonal values. A colour-capable PBM can represent these tones, but conversion cannot infer original scene colours or recover missing intermediate shades. Colourisation would be a separate image-editing operation.
Are bit depth and colour values guaranteed to match?
Pixel conversion only. Original EXIF, GPS, XMP and ICC profiles are not copied; processing uses 8-bit display pixels.
Will metadata and colour profiles be retained?
Pixel conversion only. Original EXIF, GPS, XMP and ICC profiles are not copied; processing uses 8-bit display pixels.