SIXEL to AVIF Converter

Convert SIXEL graphics to compact AVIF format online

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Quick Turnaround

Most SIXEL files convert to AVIF within moments. Server-side processing ensures speed regardless of your device capabilities.

Cross-Platform Access

Whether you are on Windows, macOS, Linux, or mobile — SIXEL to AVIF conversion is available from any connected device.

File Privacy First

Uploaded SIXEL images and converted AVIF results are automatically purged — originals immediately, outputs within 24 hours.

How to convert SIXEL 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

SIXEL (Six Pixel) is a bitmap graphics encoding format created by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1983 for rendering images on character-cell printers and video terminals. The name derives from the encoding's fundamental unit: a column of six pixels represented by a single ASCII character. Each printable character in the sixel data stream (ASCII 63-126) encodes a 6-pixel vertical column, with the character's binary value determining which pixels are on or off. Color is specified through register-based palette control: a Select Color Sequence assigns an HLS or RGB color value to a numbered register, and subsequent sixel characters use that color until another register is selected. The encoding supports raster attributes for specifying pixel aspect ratio and image dimensions, repeat sequences (! followed by a count and character) for run-length compression of identical columns, and $ (carriage return) and - (new line) for navigating the sixel grid. DEC implemented SIXEL support in their VT240, VT241, VT330, and VT340 terminals, as well as multiple printer models. One advantage of the SIXEL encoding is its ASCII-clean nature: the data stream consists entirely of printable characters and standard control sequences, meaning SIXEL graphics can be transmitted through any text-based communication channel — serial terminals, SSH sessions, telnet connections — without requiring binary-safe transport or protocol modifications. The format's modern renaissance provides another remarkable dimension: after decades of obscurity, SIXEL support has been implemented in numerous contemporary terminal emulators, enabling inline image display in command-line workflows. SIXEL output can be generated by ImageMagick, libsixel, chafa, and various plotting libraries.
Initial release: 1983
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 SIXEL to AVIF?

Terminal-rendered SIXEL graphics are confined to the command line. Converting to AVIF makes them usable across all platforms and apps.

What programs can open AVIF?

Chrome, Firefox, and Safari display AVIF natively. GIMP, Photoshop (recent versions), and IrfanView also support AVIF images.

How quickly does SIXEL to AVIF conversion finish?

Most conversions complete within seconds. Larger files may take slightly longer, but cloud processing keeps it fast regardless of your device.

Is my SIXEL file safe during conversion?

Uploaded SIXEL files are deleted immediately after conversion. AVIF output files are removed from servers within 24 hours for your privacy.

Can I convert multiple SIXEL images at once?

Absolutely. Add several SIXEL images at once, set AVIF as the output, and the converter processes them all in parallel for maximum efficiency.

Is SIXEL the same as SIX format?

They are the same encoding — SIXEL is the full name, SIX is the short extension. Convertio handles both identically for conversion.