Recipe 11.10. Converting Images Easily Between Graphics Formats

Problem

You want to convert a file from one image format to another, for example, so that you can take a file in TIFF format and convert it to JPEG so that it can be posted on the Web.

Solution

Using downloadable software

IrfanView is the best tool for doing image conversion. It's free, easy to use, gives you a wide variety of formats among which you can convert, and will do batch conversions as well as conversions of individual files.

Download the program from http://www.irfanview.com. If you're going to convert only a single file, follow these steps:

1. Run IrfanView and open the file you want to convert by choosing File Open, browsing to the file you want to open, and then choosing it.

2. Choose File Save As. From the "Save As type" drop-down box, choose the format you want to convert the file to.

3. Click the Options button to choose any special options for the file you're saving. The options available to you will differ according to the file type you're converting to. For example, if you're converting to a JPEG, you can choose how high quality an image to save, whether to save the file as a grayscale file, and so on, as shown in Figure 11-8.

   Figure 11-8. Saving at different quality levels in IrfanView

   
   
   

4. Click OK when you've chosen your options, and then click Save.

5. Choose where to save the file and what name to give it and click OK. Your image will now be converted.

To batch-convert files:

1. Run IrfanView and choose File Batch Conversion.

2. In the Batch Conversion dialog box that appears, shown in Figure 11-9, browse to the directory that has the files you want to convert, and select them.

   Figure 11-9. Batch conversion in IrfanView

   
   
   

3. From the Output format dialog box, choose the format to which you want to convert the files.

4. Click the Options button to choose any special options for the files. Again, these will vary according to the file format to which you're converting the files.

5. Choose the directory where you want to store the converted files (the Output directory box).

6. Click the Add button

7. Click Start. IrfanView will convert all your files in a batch.

Discussion

You may be tempted to try to use XP's built-in Paint program to do image conversion, but don't bother, because it can't really do the trick. It can only convert a handful of graphics formats (for example, it can't handle .pcx or .ico format), and won't let you customize the graphic; for example, you can't alter the compression of .jpg files to make them smaller. And it can't do batch conversions to convert a file you have to open it, and then save it in a different graphics format.

For image conversion you don't need a full-blown graphics program like Photoshop that carries a full-blown price tag of up to $600 (Photoshop Elements is another alternative, but that's not free either). A freebie like IrfanView does a great job. In fact, IrfanView does a lot more than just image conversion. It also includes editing tools.