Convert Image

Convert images online from one format into another

Select images

Convert Image

SVG

Scalable vector format for logos, icons, and illustrations. Infinitely scalable without loss. Convert raster icons to SVG when possible via tracing or re-creation.

TIFF

High-quality raster format used in print and archiving. Supports multiple pages and a wide range of color depths. Large files — great for masters and professional workflows.

HEIF / HEIC

Efficient image format used by modern mobile devices (iPhones, some Androids). Good compression and supports depth/metadata; conversion to JPEG/WebP may be necessary for compatibility.

Common Conversion Tasks

  • Photograph (JPEG) → WebP/AVIF for web performance.
  • PNG → JPEG for photos to save bytes (if transparency not needed).
  • HEIC → JPEG/WebP for wider compatibility.
  • SVG → PNG/JPEG for environments that do not support vectors.
  • GIF → APNG/WebP for higher-quality animations with smaller size.

Tools for Converting Images

Desktop Apps

Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP — all can open and export many formats. Use them when you need manual control over color profile, compression settings, and metadata.

Command-line Utilities

ImageMagick – versatile and scriptable. Example converting JPEG to WebP:

magick input.jpg -quality 85 output.webp

cwebp – part of the WebP tools: cwebp -q 80 input.jpg -o output.webp.

Programming Libraries

  • Sharp (Node.js): Fast, libvips-based. Example: sharp('in.jpg').toFormat('webp').toFile('out.webp').
  • Pillow (Python): Image.open('in.jpg').save('out.png').
  • libvips (C/C++/bindings): Highly efficient for batch conversions.

Online Converters and CDNs

Cloudinary, Imgix, and Fastly Image Optimizer can transcode images on the fly and deliver the best format for each browser. Simple web tools are fine for one-off conversions but consider privacy and batch capability.

Step-by-step: Convert Images Without Losing Visual Fidelity

  1. Choose the right target format: Determine whether you need transparency, animation, or maximum compression.
  2. Preserve color profile: Convert or embed sRGB for consistent web display. For print, respect CMYK or high-bit-depth profiles.
  3. Resize if necessary: Convert and resize during the same pass to avoid multiple recompressions.
  4. Control compression: Test quality levels. For JPEG 75–85 is often a good starting point; WebP/AVIF can achieve similar quality at lower sizes.
  5. Strip unnecessary metadata: Remove EXIF where not needed to save bytes and protect privacy.
  6. Verify results: Inspect visually and on multiple devices, especially after converting color spaces or bit depth changes.

Preserving Color and Metadata

Color profiles ensure consistent color across devices. When converting, either embed the source profile or convert to a standard profile (sRGB) for web distribution. Be cautious: converting to sRGB might slightly alter colors if the source is wide-gamut.

Metadata (EXIF) contains camera settings, timestamps, and sometimes location data. Decide whether to keep it (useful for photographers) or remove it (privacy and smaller files).

Conversion Examples by Scenario

Scenario A — Prepare Photos for Blog

Convert raw photos (TIFF/HEIC) to WebP with 80–85 quality, resize to a max width of 1600px, and create 2× assets for high-DPI screens. Keep masters backed up offline.

Scenario B — Icons for a Web App

Use SVG for vector icons. If raster is needed, export PNG at multiple sizes and convert to WebP for lower bandwidth consumption while keeping PNG fallback for older browsers.

Scenario C — Animation Conversion

Convert GIF animations to animated WebP or APNG for better quality and often smaller sizes. Test across target browsers and platforms for playback support.

Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

  • Blindly converting formats: Converting PNG to JPEG without checking transparency will create ugly backgrounds. Always inspect results.
  • Color shifts: Ensure color profiles are handled; otherwise colors may change unexpectedly.
  • Lossy chaining: Repeated lossy conversions degrade quality. Convert from lossless masters when possible.
  • Compatibility gaps: New formats like AVIF may not be supported everywhere — provide fallbacks.

Advanced Topics

On-the-fly Conversion (CDN)

Image CDNs can detect the requesting browser and device and deliver an optimal format and size. This reduces storage and simplifies asset pipelines.

Perceptual Quality Metrics

Metrics like SSIM and VMAF measure perceived visual difference between original and converted images. Use them to tune automatic conversion thresholds when image quality matters.

AI-Assisted Conversion

AI tools can improve upscaling, colorization, and denoising during conversion — helpful when you must enlarge old images or recover detail.