Opening PGM Files

The PGM file type is primarily associated with Photoshop.

PGM	File extension: PGM
	File type:	bitmap image

What is a PGM file?

PGM files mostly belong to Photoshop by Adobe. PGM file extension is mainly associated with grayscale, variable, and b-level bitmaps saved in the Portable GrayMap format used to store and exchange images. The contents of PGM files are usually written in ASCII text format but it can also be encoded as a binary (raw) image. Text-based PGM files begin with a 2-byte magic number (P2), followed by integers representing the width and height of the image, an integer representing the maximum value, and a pixel matrix in which 0 represents black and the highest value represents white. PGM filename extension is also associated with batch program files used by Chromeleon, a chromatography data processing software. Signature programs created by Visual C++ (now integrated into Visual Studio) compiler, are saved in PGM files. Such PGM files contain C or C++ source code which produce obfuscated functions or patterns when they are compiled.

How to open a PGM file

You need a suitable software like Photoshop to open a PGM file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your PGM file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a PGM file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online PGM File Viewer

Choose your .pgm file to view this image

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to convert PGM files to JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF, ...

You can convert PGM files using our online PGM file viewer (powered by Convert.Guru):

To do this, click the button "Choose your .pgm file to view this image" on this page.
After your file is opened in browser,
click "Save as..." in the menu.
Then choose the image format (e.g. JPG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, ...) you want.
Your file will be converted and downloaded.

Programs that open and convert PGM files:

Photoshop by Adobe
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. PGM files are often referred to as Photoshop raster images because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Chromeleon (batch program) by ThermoFisher
Chromeleon is a suite of chromatography instrument control, data processing, and automation software used in science laboratories. Some batch programs used by Chromeleon are stored in PGM files. This file format is classified as Developer.
GIMP (bitmap image) by GIMP Team
GIMP is a free and open source image manipulation software compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac environments. You can open, edit, or convert PGM images with GIMP. This file format is classified as Raster Image. Related links: Netpbm, PGM format
IBM i (program) by Apache
IBM i is an integrated operating system that includes a database, development tools, and middleware that run on IBM Power Systems Servers and Enterprise Linux operating system. Its CGI feature can route PGM file requests to Java, PHP, Perl or Python scripts that are executed and usually returned as HTML. This file format is classified as Developer.
MegaBasic (program) by Mike Leaman
MegaBasic was an interpreter for programs written in BASIC programming language. Programs written with MegaBasic were stored in PGM files. This program may have been discontinued. This file format is classified as Developer. Related links: BASIC
Opentech Set Top Box (main software data) by Opentech
Digital set-top-boxes (cable and satellite boxes) manufactured by Opentech are capable of receiving broadcasts from terrestrial and satellite broadcasting networks. The main software on these cable boxes use some data stored in PGM files. This file format is classified as Data.
RS7000 (OS image) by Yahama
RS7000 is a professional music production equipment capable of combining loops, and samples used to create soundtracks. The operating system image used by RS7000 is stored in a PGM file. This device is no longer sold by the manufacturer. This file format is classified as Disk Image.
Sublime (ascii bitmap) by Sublime
Sublime is a cross-platform text editor with specialized tools for writing and editing program source code. It may be used to open and edit the contents of ASCII-based PGM bitmaps. This file format is classified as Raster Image. Related links: PGM format
Visual Studio (signature program) by Microsoft
Visual Studio is an integrated development environment for building cross-platform applications. It features various tools and packages for compiling and testing source code written in C, C++, .NET, JavaScript and several other programming languages. Its Visual C++ component saves C and C++ signature programs in PGM files. This file format is classified as Developer.

PGM file format:

Why is it important to know the file format? This is the only way to find out which program to use to open the file. The file format can be determined based on the file extension and the signature (the first few characters of a file). Nonetheless, different programs can utilize the same file extension to represent distinct file formats. Double-clicking on the file often results in an error when opening. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Our analysis of the PGM files produces the following result:

PGM is a very commonly used file extension and is mainly used by one program with a specific format. The file formats most commonly found in PGM files are:

80% of all PGM files belong to Portable GrayMap bitmap. These files are binary files, so they do not contain text, but only cryptic characters. PGM files can be up to 92 MB in size, but are often around 5 KB - 4 MB. The file type was developed 20 years ago and is still in use today. Such files are related to yaleb, frame, image, bioid, output, left, open, number and lenna.
2% of all PGM files use the same file format, which can be identified by the letters "BM" at the beginning. The content consists of binary data as well as text and words. The file size is in the range of 1 KB to 84 KB. Several words can almost always be found in the files, e.g. DZVb, FLDVc and Xilog3-9.0. Files like these are sometimes connected to sheet.

The remaining 18% of all PGM files are files with no common format, often, for example, Opentech Digital STB main software. They are often associated with input, imagem, pftausw, camera, dbpsw, sheet or disp. Just click the "Choose your .pgm file to view this image" button on this page to find out what your PGM file is.

Technical Data for PGM File Extension

File classification:

Raster Image

Related files:

pmg, pnm, ppm, pbm, gpm, pgmx, jls, xxl, pgm7, bgm, zip, txt, eye, jpg, png, jpeg, flc, swf, dvm, pfm, rle, dcm, tiff

Related links:

XnView, IrfanView, PGM format

Mime type:

image/x-portable-graymap, image/x-portable-anymap

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: ABCImageBrowser.pgmImage, FileType: Portable Pixmap, GreyMap, BitMap, AppName: ABC Image Browser 4
EXEFile: IBrowser4.exe

ProgramID: ACDSee.pgm, FileType: ACDSee PGM Image, AppName: ACDSee

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM, FileType: ACDSee PGM Image, AppName: ACDSee for Windows 95/98/2000/NT

ProgramID: ACDSee6.pgm, FileType: ACDSee6 PGM Image, AppName: ACDSee 6.0 Application
EXEFile: ACDSee6.exe

ProgramID: ACDSee6.pgm, FileType: ACDSee6 PGM Image, AppName: ACDSee Application

ProgramID: EZPixFile, FileType: EZ-Pix Image, AppName: ezpix

ProgramID: EZPixFile, FileType: EZ-Pix Image, AppName: Image Viewing Software

ProgramID: FotoCanvas2.PGM, FileType: FotoCanvas PGM Image, AppName: FotoCanvas2
EXEFile: FotoCanvas2.exe

ProgramID: GraphicsConverterPro.pgm, FileType: Portable Greyscale, AppName: GraphicsConverter-reg
EXEFile: GraphicsConverter.exe

ProgramID: HyperLOCK, AppName: HyperCD

ProgramID: ICPlus, AppName: ImageEditor Plus
EXEFile: ICPlus.exe

ProgramID: IrfanView.pgm, FileType: IrfanView PGM File, AppName: IrfanView
EXEFile: i_view32.exe

ProgramID: PaintShopPro8.Image, FileType: Paint Shop Pro Image, AppName: Paint Shop Pro 8
EXEFile: Paint Shop Pro.exe

ProgramID: PEX7.Image, AppName: Ulead Photo Explorer
EXEFile: PEX.EXE

ProgramID: PSP.Image, FileType: Paint Shop Pro Image, AppName: Paint Shop Pro Windows 32 bit Executable

ProgramID: PSP5.Image, FileType: Paint Shop Pro 5 Image, AppName: Paint Shop Pro 5 Release Executable
EXEFile: PSP.EXE

ProgramID: PSP7.Image, FileType: Paint Shop Pro 7 Image, AppName: Paint Shop Pro 7
EXEFile: psp.exe

ProgramID: PV1.Image, AppName: Ulead Instant Viewer

ProgramID: SlowView PGM, AppName: SlowView
EXEFile: SlowView.exe

ProgramID: ACDSee 6.0.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\6.0\ACDSee6.exe %1

ProgramID: ACDSee 7.0.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\7.0\ACDSee7.exe %1

ProgramID: ACDSee.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\5.0\ACDSee5.exe %1

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\ACDSee.exe /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD\ACDSee\ACDSee.exe /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACDSYS~1\ACDSee\ACDSee.exe /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\HEWLET~1\PHOTOS~1\ACDSys\ACD\ACDSee\ACDSee.exe /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee6.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\6.0\ACDSee6.exe %1

ProgramID: PaintShopPro
EXEFile: C:\PSP\PSP.EXE %1

ProgramID: PaintShopPro8.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 8\Paint Shop Pro.exe /dde

ProgramID: PaintShopPro9.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 9\Paint Shop Pro 9.exe /dde

ProgramID: PEX7.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 7.0\Pex.exe %1

ProgramID: PGM_UV
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Advanced Image Viewer and Converter\ImgViewer.exe %1

ProgramID: PSP.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PAINTS~1\PSP.EXE /dde

ProgramID: PSP5.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PAINTS~1\Psp.exe /dde

ProgramID: PSP5.Image
EXEFile: F:\PAINT~14\Psp.exe /dde

ProgramID: PSP7.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 7\psp.exe /dde

ProgramID: PSP7.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Paint Shop Pro 7\psp.exe /dde

ProgramID: PV1.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 7.0\eViewer.exe %1

ProgramID: PV8.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0

ProgramID: TheGIMP20
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\GIMP-2.2\bin\gimp-win-remote.exe %1

ProgramID: XnView.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\XnView\xnview.exe %1

ProgramID: CPCView.PbmDoc
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe %1

ProgramID: FotoCanvas2.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\FotoCanvas\2.0\FotoCanvas2.exe /dde

ProgramID: SmartPixImage
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Smart Pix Manager\SmartPix.exe %1

ProgramID: PV8.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0 SE Basic\eViewer.exe %1

ProgramID: ACDSee 7.0.pgm
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\Program Files\ACD Systems\ACDSee\7.0\ACDSee7.exe %1

ProgramID: PSP6.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PAINTS~1\psp.exe /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACDSYS~1\ACDSEE~1\ACDSEE.EXE /dde

ProgramID: ACDSee 8.0.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\8.0\ACDSee8.exe %1

ProgramID: PV85.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.5 SE\eViewer.exe %1

ProgramID: TheGIMP20
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\GIMP-2.0\bin\gimp-win-remote.exe gimp-2.2.exe %1

ProgramID: LViewPro
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\LVIEWP~1\LVIEWPRO.EXE %1

ProgramID: Visual Photo++ file
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Visual Photo++\VPhoto.exe %1

ProgramID: PaintShopProX.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Corel\Corel Paint Shop Pro X\Paint Shop Pro X.exe

ProgramID: IrfanView.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IrfanView\i_view32.exe

ProgramID: ACDSee Pro.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACD Systems\ACDSee\8.0.Pro\ACDSee8Pro.exe

ProgramID: NeroPhotoSnapViewer.Files.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ahead\Nero PhotoSnap\PhotoSnapViewer.exe

ProgramID: PV85.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.6\eViewer.exe

ProgramID: PEX85.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.5 SE Basic\PEX.exe

ProgramID: PaintShopProPhotoXI.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Corel\Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI\Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.exe

ProgramID: HyperLOCK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\HyperCD\HyperCD.exe

ProgramID: SnapfireI.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Corel\Corel Snapfire Plus\Corel Snapfire.exe

ProgramID: PV8.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0\eViewer.exe

ProgramID: IrfanView.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IRFANV~1\i_view32.exe

ProgramID: Pagis.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ScanSoft\Pagis\XIFVIEW.EXE

ProgramID: ALSee.PGM
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ESTsoft\ALSee\ALSee.exe

ProgramID: CPCView.PbmDoc
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE

ProgramID: PV85.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Explorer 8.5\eViewer.exe

ProgramID: Pagis.Image
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Xerox\Pagis\XIFVIEW.EXE

ProgramID: NeroPhotoSnapViewer.Files.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ahead\Nero\Nero 7\Nero PhotoSnap\PhotoSnapViewer.exe

ProgramID: DigitalFotoMaker.5.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MAGIX\FOTO_M~1\FOTOMA~1.EXE

ProgramID: PhEdit.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\VCW VicMan's Photo Editor\vcwphoto.exe

ProgramID: MyViewPad.pgm
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\My ViewPad\MyViewPad.exe

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a pgm bitmap image is a special file format by Adobe and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with PGM files

Associate the PGM file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open bitmap images. Because only the current version supports the latest PGM file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the Adobe manufacturer website after an available Photoshop update.
To make sure that your PGM file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .PGM file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.