Convert Images in Mac OS X: JPG to GIF, PSD to JPG, GIF to JPG, BMP to JPG, PNG to PDF, and more
You can convert many different image file formats in Mac OS X for free using the included Preview application. As of Mac OS X 10.6, Preview supports the following file types and will convert between any of them: GIF, ICNS, JPEG, JPG, JPEG-2000, Microsoft BMP, Microsoft Icon, OpenEXR, PDF, Photoshop (PSD), PICT, PNG, SGI, TGA, TIFF
Here’s a very simple walkthrough to convert images within Preview:
* Open the image file you want converted within Preview
* From the File menu navigate down to ‘Save As’
* Select the file format you want the image converted to from the ‘Format’ drop down list
* Click “OK” to save and convert the image to the new format
The above process will hold true regardless of the origin images file format and the desired file format.
Preview.app supports a wide range of image conversions: GIF to JPG, JPG to GIF, PSD to JPG, JPG to PDF, JPG to BMP, BMP to JPG, BMP to GIF, PNG to GIF, JPG to PNG, TIFF to JPG, and just about every other variation between these and more. As long as the image format is supported by Preview, it will convert it to any other supported file format.
Useful tip. Preview might be a bit unweildy for batch work but gets the jobs done.
HI:
I have a whole bunch of images (an album of about 1,000 images) that I need to convert from png to jpg. Is there an easy way to do a large batch like that on a Mac?
I know I can open each png image and convert it to a jpg. Do I have to do them all one by one?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Lorne
Hello,
With Mac OS X Preview: 8Kb bmp image -> 12Kb gif
With Windows Paint: same 8Kb bmp -> 202b gif
Is there a better Macs OS X app to convert from bmp to gif?
Thanks,
Olivier
Thank you for the advice. i was able to convert my file easily. I did not even know about the preview app.
This doesn’t work. All I get is four target file types: .pdf, .png, Photoshop, and .tif.
I tried this but a program that accepts only 24 bit depth BMP’s does not like the 32 bit depth put out by Preview or in slides saved as BMP from Powerpoint. How to change the bit depth from 32 to 24 bits?
All this is meaningless if you use OSX10.4.11, like me.
Any suggestions for this ‘ancient’ OS?
This is what i am doing, but i have to do around 100 files, its quite tedious doing it one by one, and highlighting all the files and doing this doesnt seem to work!
Any suggestion?
Run automator.app, it´s in Applications folder. When it asks, select “workflow”.
1. Click “files & folders” on left. From right column drag & drop “ask for finder items” into the left window. Select the folder where your images are, tick “allow multiple selections”.
2. Drag & drop “copy finder items” and select the folder where you want to copy.
3. Select “Photos”, and drag “change type of images”. Select the output format.
Save the workflow for possible future use (File, save as).
Click run, select the photos to be converted. After a period, You have all the images in the output folder, in another format.
http://img43.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=434307207_Untitled_122_398lo.jpg
Absolutely fantastic advice!!
5 years a mac user and didn’t have the slightest idea that you can do that!
Many thanks Aske!
THANK YOU!!! You saved me a LOT of time!!!
Thanks a LOOOOOOOOOOt, Mac friend! I didn’t know either what Automator was for, you save me time and money and I’m definitely going to dive into this great App! Thanks again!
[...] from Safari, and go straight to Preview to create a new file which can instantly be edited or converted. stLight.options({ publisher:'fe5e0a84-1fac-40de-8014-9f89fc1cbe6a' [...]
How about a way to batch change to png AND change the resolution of the files? I don’t see that option in the Automator tasks even though it can be done in Preview.
You can use the ‘sips’ command-line tool, which I personally find easier than firing up Automator. Check out http://straylink.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/os-x-command-line-image-manipulation/ for examples.
To convert a bunch of TIFs to JPGs, I just did something like:
for x (*.tif)
sips -s format jpeg $x –out outdir/$(basename $x .tif).jpg
It will not let me save the files. I don’t know what’s going on.
Great tip, must see if we can add recursion to this.
Does it work with Lion too?
I can’t export my png as gif…
Re: OS X Lion – yes, use ‘export’ instead of ‘Save As’
Gari, do you have an option for .gif in yours? My older versions of Mac had that extension, but Lion doesn’t seem to. If not, is there a way to add extension options?
Would anyone venture to say this app is as good or better in some things than Gimp. I researched it and it looks like there were no issues for OS X 10.6 or later.
[...] is an often underused Mac OS X app that can handle a lot of file and image conversion tasks without the need for downloading any third party tools. Preview also happens to be the [...]
You have to hold alt (option) key when you click on the file type to expose hidden types like gif, icns, etc.