What is a PGM file?
PGM (Portable Graymap) is a simple image file format for grayscale images. It is part of the Netpbm project and supports varying shades of gray between black and white.
PGM files are often used in image processing and academic research because they are easy to parse and manipulate. Our Online PGM Viewer renders these grayscale maps instantly.
How to View PGM Files Online
Upload PGM
Drag and drop your .pgm file into the viewer.
Visualize
See the grayscale image rendered clearly.
Convert
Download the image as a standard PNG for easy use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PGM and PBM?
PBM (Portable Bitmap) is strictly black and white (1-bit). PGM (Portable Graymap) supports multiple shades of gray (usually 8-bit or 16-bit).
Can I open PGM in Windows?
Most standard viewers don't support PGM. You can use our online tool or software like GIMP.
Is PGM compressed?
PGM files can be either plain text (ASCII) or binary. They are usually uncompressed, making them larger than JPEGs but easier to process programmatically.