PFM to AVIF Converter

Fast online PFM to AVIF conversion for free

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Zero Install

Run the entire PFM to AVIF conversion in your web browser. No downloads, plugins, or system requirements beyond an internet connection.

Rapid Conversion

Processing PFM to AVIF is swift — most conversions finish in moments, so you spend less time waiting and more time working.

Works Everywhere

Desktop, tablet, or phone — the converter runs on any device with a web browser. No platform restrictions for PFM to AVIF conversion.

How to convert PFM to AVIF

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose avif or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your avif file right afterwards

About formats

PFM (Portable Float Map) is a floating-point raster image format devised by Paul Debevec around 2001, designed to store high-dynamic-range image data with the simplicity of the Netpbm family of formats. PFM extends the PBM/PGM/PPM philosophy — minimal header, raw data, no compression — to 32-bit IEEE floating-point samples, providing direct access to HDR pixel values without the encoding overhead of formats like OpenEXR or the limited range of Radiance HDR's RGBE encoding. The file structure is deliberately minimal: a two-character magic number ('Pf' for grayscale, 'PF' for color), width and height on the next line, a scale/endianness indicator (negative for little-endian, positive for big-endian, with magnitude indicating scale factor), and then the raw 32-bit float data for each pixel. PFM files store one float per pixel for grayscale or three floats (RGB) per pixel for color, with no compression, alpha channel, or metadata support. The format emerged from the HDR imaging research community where Debevec's work on image-based lighting and light stage capture required a simple, unambiguous way to store linear floating-point radiance values that could be easily exchanged between research tools. One advantage is absolute simplicity for HDR data: PFM can be read and written in a few lines of code in any language that supports IEEE floats, with no library dependencies — ideal for research prototyping and quick data exchange between custom tools. The format's widespread adoption in the computer vision and computational photography research community is another practical strength — optical flow benchmarks (Middlebury), depth estimation datasets, and radiance field captures commonly use PFM. The format is supported by ImageMagick, OpenCV, HDR Shop, and Luminance HDR.
Developer: Paul Debevec
Initial release: 2001
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a modern image format derived from the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media and specified in February 2019. The format leverages the intra-frame coding tools of AV1 — a royalty-free video codec backed by Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, and other major technology companies — to compress still images with substantially higher efficiency than JPEG, PNG, or even WebP. AVIF stores images in the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) container, supporting both lossy and lossless compression, HDR (high dynamic range) with wide color gamuts up to 12-bit depth, alpha transparency, and animated sequences. At equivalent visual quality, AVIF files are typically 30-50% smaller than WebP and 50-70% smaller than JPEG, representing the largest compression improvement in mainstream image formats in over a decade. One advantage is exceptional compression efficiency — AVIF delivers visually indistinguishable images at dramatically lower file sizes, directly reducing bandwidth consumption and improving page load times for web content. The royalty-free licensing model provides another key strength: unlike HEIC/HEIF which relies on patent-encumbered HEVC, AVIF's AV1 foundation is free for anyone to implement without licensing fees. Browser support has reached broad adoption, with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all rendering AVIF natively. The format is rapidly gaining adoption for web images where quality-to-size ratio is paramount.
Initial release: February 8, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PFM to AVIF?

PFM files are niche and rarely supported outside scientific software. AVIF offers broad compatibility across all platforms and applications.

What programs open AVIF files?

AVIF files can be opened in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and modern image editors with AVIF support.

Does PFM to AVIF conversion cost anything?

Basic conversions are completely free. If you need higher volume or larger data support, Convertio offers affordable premium options.

Is the conversion process fast?

Yes — PFM to AVIF conversion on Convertio usually completes in seconds. Cloud-based processing handles the work without taxing your device.

Will my image quality survive the conversion?

Your original PFM pixel data is converted accurately to AVIF. The output quality matches what the AVIF format supports — no unnecessary degradation.