What happens when you convert PPM to EPS
- ImageMagick, the open-source image toolkit, reads the PPM on our conversion server and embeds it in an EPS.
- The EPS holds the picture as pixels. It does not turn the image into vector shapes, so it will not scale up without softening.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert PPM to EPS online
- Press "Choose PPM files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to EPS". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each EPS with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your PPM and the EPS by then.
Why convert PPM to EPS?
PPM files usually come from output of scientific tools, camera and video software, and image-processing scripts. People convert them to EPS because EPS is what many printers, sign makers and older design software still ask for when you send artwork.
In short, PPM is good at what it was made for, and EPS is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. PPM does not open in browsers; GIMP, IrfanView and Photoshop open it, while EPS does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF.
How to convert PPM to EPS on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your PPM files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each EPS is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the PPM files from Finder onto the drop zone and the EPS files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose PPM files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted EPS appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose PPM files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The EPS is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for PPM to EPS
There are no settings: the image keeps its full size.
Keep the PPM as your original, and convert from it again if you need another format.
PPM vs EPS: the differences
| PPM | EPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Pixmap | Encapsulated PostScript |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Jef Poskanzer (Netpbm) | Adobe |
| First released | 1988 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Vector or raster | Raster | Vector |
| Colour | 8 or 16 bits per channel, RGB | vector drawing, which can also hold raster images |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; GIMP, IrfanView and Photoshop open it | does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF |
| Common uses | output of scientific tools, camera and video software, and image-processing scripts | logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics |
| MIME type | image/x-portable-pixmap | application/postscript |
About PPM and EPS files
What is a PPM file?
PPM is about as simple as an image format gets: a short header with the width, height and maximum value, then the red, green and blue value of every pixel, uncompressed. That makes it easy for programs to write and very large on disk.
What is an EPS file?
An EPS is a small PostScript program that draws one page of artwork, with a bounding box so it can be placed inside other documents. Printers and designers still ask for it, but it is gradually being replaced by PDF and SVG.
PPM to EPS not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Save the image at a smaller size first.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in PPM format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .ppm is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert PPM to EPS from the command line
ImageMagick does the same on your own computer:
magick input.ppm -background white -flatten output.epsConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PPM to EPS converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting PPM to EPS?
No. EPS is stored losslessly, so every pixel of the PPM is kept.
Why is the EPS a different size from the PPM?
Often larger than the PPM, because the pixels are stored in the EPS without lossy compression, and EPS adds its own page description around them.
Are my PPM files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful PPM to EPS conversion needs ImageMagick, the open-source image toolkit, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the EPS as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several PPM files to EPS at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an EPS file?
EPS does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF. EPS is common for logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics.
Is this PPM to EPS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert PPM to EPS on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the EPS is saved to your Downloads folder.