HDR to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects. If your files are still in HDR format, this page is the shortcut: HDR (Radiance RGBE) stores floating-point high-dynamic-range pixels — the format of lighting data and HDRI environment maps.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How HDR compares to TAR
| HDR | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | RGBE (RLE runs) | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Best for | Lighting data, environment maps | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert HDR to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Select your HDR file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR archive.
About the HDR format
HDR (Radiance RGBE) is the veteran high-dynamic-range format of lighting research and 3D rendering: pixels stored as a shared 8-bit exponent plus per-channel mantissas, letting one file hold both a sun and a shadow with no clipping. HDRI environment maps for 3D scenes are almost always HDR files.
Standard image viewers show it badly or not at all, because the values can exceed what a screen can display. Converting HDR to PNG tone-maps the file into an 8-bit preview — good for quick inspection, though the floating-point original remains the render-grade master.
+Strengths
- ✓True high-dynamic-range values
- ✓The standard of HDRI environment maps
- ✓Compact for its precision
!Limitations
- −Not display-ready — needs tone mapping
- −Viewer support is scarce
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
!Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert HDR to TAR?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Not display-ready — needs tone mapping TAR sidesteps that — Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this HDR to TAR converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting HDR to TAR?
No — TAR is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original HDR file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Can I convert several HDR files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to TAR?
Transparency is kept whenever TAR actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.