MAT to PFM Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Convert PFM to PNG or JPG to get a viewable tone-mapped preview of float data. If your files are still in MAT format, this page is the shortcut: MAT is the MATLAB workspace image format — arrays saved by MATLAB and scientific tools, often holding raster frames from simulations or sensors alongside numeric data.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How MAT compares to PFM
| MAT | PFM | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None / zlib level 9 | None (raw floats) |
| Transparency | Not supported | Not supported |
| Animation | Not supported | Not supported |
| Metadata | Variable names and workspace metadata | Minimal header only |
| Best for | Simulation frames, sensor arrays | HDR interchange, render passes |
How to convert MAT to PFM
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your MAT files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to PFM". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted PFM file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the MAT format
MAT is the workspace format of MATLAB and its open-source sibling Octave. Image data shows up inside MAT files as numeric arrays — simulation frames, sensor captures, processed microscopy — usually alongside the variables and metadata a research script produced with them.
Converting the image arrays inside a MAT file to PNG makes them viewable and shareable without MATLAB — useful for reports, papers and collaborations where colleagues do not have a MATLAB license.
+Strengths
- ✓Carries numeric precision end to end
- ✓Pairs image data with research variables
- ✓Octave compatibility (open tooling)
!Limitations
- −Requires MATLAB/Octave to open
- −Not an image container by design
About the PFM format
PFM (Portable Float Map) stores pixels as raw 32-bit floating-point values — no palette, no compression tricks, just the numbers. It belongs to the Netpbm family (PBM/PGM/PPM) and is the lingua franca for handing high-dynamic-range data between renderers, tone-mapping experiments and radiance research scripts.
Because the values are floats, a PFM can hold sunlight and candlelight in the same image without clipping. Viewers rarely open it directly: convert to PNG or JPG to get a tone-mapped preview of the same data.
+Strengths
- ✓Full floating-point precision
- ✓Dead-simple text/binary layout
- ✓Widely read by research tooling
!Limitations
- −Enormous files (16 bytes per pixel)
- −Almost no viewer support
Why convert MAT to PFM?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Requires MATLAB/Octave to open PFM works differently: Full floating-point precision If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this MAT to PFM 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 MAT to PFM?
No — PFM is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original MAT file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your MAT files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Can I convert several MAT 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.