Do You Need Text Recognition? Recognize text

PGX to ABW Converter

Turn PGX images into ABW format for free

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Secure Processing

All PGX uploads are encrypted in transit. Files are deleted immediately after conversion — your ABW results are available for 24 hours only.

Speedy Conversion

No long waits — PGX to ABW processing is optimized for speed. Your converted file is typically ready in just a few seconds.

Quality Preserved

The converter extracts full image data from PGX and encodes it into ABW at maximum fidelity. No unnecessary quality degradation.

How to convert PGX to ABW

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

PGX is a simple single-component raster image format defined as part of the JPEG 2000 standard (ISO/IEC 15444) for use in conformance testing and verification of JPEG 2000 codec implementations. Introduced around 2000 alongside the JPEG 2000 specification itself, PGX files store a single image component (one color channel or grayscale plane) with a text header followed by raw pixel data, providing an unambiguous reference representation against which encoder and decoder outputs can be compared sample by sample. The header is a single ASCII line specifying endianness (ML for big-endian, LM for little-endian), signedness (+ for unsigned, - for signed), bit depth (1 to 32 bits), width, and height. The pixel data follows as raw binary values, each occupying the minimum number of bytes needed for the specified bit depth, with one value per pixel. For multi-component images (like RGB), each component is stored in a separate PGX file. The format's deliberate simplicity — no compression, no metadata, no multi-channel support — ensures there are no ambiguities in interpretation that could mask codec bugs. One advantage is verification precision: PGX's uncompressed, exactly-specified representation allows bit-exact comparison of decoded JPEG 2000 output against reference images, essential for certifying that a codec implementation conforms to the standard. The format's role in the JPEG 2000 conformance testing framework means it is implemented by every serious JPEG 2000 codec (OpenJPEG, Kakadu, etc.) and used in the official ISO conformance test suite. PGX files can also be processed by ImageMagick and various JPEG 2000 development tools.
Initial release: 2000
ABW is the native document format of AbiWord, a free and open-source word processor originally developed by AbiSource in 1998 and later maintained as part of the GNOME Office suite. The format stores document content as well-formed XML, describing paragraphs, character formatting, page layout, headers and footers, tables, lists, footnotes, and embedded images in a human-readable structure. ABW files use a straightforward markup where document sections map to XML elements with attribute-based styling, making the format transparent and easy to parse programmatically. AbiWord was designed as a lightweight alternative to heavyweight office suites, running efficiently on older hardware and resource-constrained systems while still providing core word processing functionality. One advantage is the clean XML foundation — ABW files can be inspected, transformed, and generated using standard XML tools and scripting languages without requiring the AbiWord application itself. The lightweight nature of both the format and its parent application is another practical strength: AbiWord and its ABW format are commonly found on Linux distributions targeting older computers and educational deployments in developing countries through projects like OLPC. ABW files can be converted to mainstream formats like DOC, ODT, and PDF through AbiWord's built-in export or through document conversion tools.
Developer: AbiSource
Initial release: 1998

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PGX to ABW?

ABW embeds the image in a structured document layout, making PGX content easy to distribute, annotate, and print anywhere.

What programs open ABW files?

View ABW files using the appropriate reader application — free options exist for every major operating system and mobile platform.

Why is PGX not widely supported?

PGX was created specifically for JPEG 2000 testing — a narrow technical purpose. It was never designed for everyday image storage or distribution.

Which platforms are supported?

Every platform with a modern browser works — Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android all run the PGX to ABW converter perfectly.

Can I convert multiple PGX files at once?

Yes — upload several PGX files in a single session and convert them all to ABW simultaneously. Batch processing saves considerable time.