How to Convert PGM to EXR

OpenEXR, developed by Industrial Light & Magic, stores image data in 16 or 32-bit floating point and is the standard working format for VFX and compositing software like Nuke, Blender, and After Effects. PGM stores standard 8-bit grayscale data, so converting PGM to EXR doesn't add dynamic range that wasn't in the original file — it simply changes the container format to one that fits naturally into a VFX pipeline, often used for grayscale mattes or mask channels.

This conversion is mainly relevant when grayscale research or simulation data needs to be used as a mask, matte, or reference channel within a compositing project built around EXR as its native format.

1. Install Turbo Batch Image Converter Pro on your Windows PC.
2. Open the app and select Batch Mode for multiple files, or Individual Mode for a single PGM.
3. Drag your PGM file or folder into the app window, enabling recursive folder scanning if needed.
4. Set the "From" format to PGM and the "To" format to EXR.
5. Click Convert. EXR files are written to the output folder, fully offline.

• 100% offline — your research and pipeline output is never uploaded anywhere
• Produces EXR files compatible with Nuke, Blender, Maya, and other VFX software
• Useful for grayscale mattes and mask channels in compositing workflows
• Bulk conversion of entire folders, including sub-folders, in one click
• Multi-core processing for fast handling of large batches
• Option to delete original PGM files automatically after conversion