PBM File Format

• giftoppm converts a GIF image to PPM.
  
  
• pnmtotiff converts the PPM to a TIFF.

• PBM stands for Portable Bitmap (a monochrome bitmap).
  
  
• PGM stands for Portable Gray Map (a gray scale bitmap).
  
  
• PPM stands for Portable Pixel Map (a color bitmap).
  
  
• PNM stands for Portable aNy Map, and indicates a program will work with PBM, PGM and PPM.

1. An ASCII text representation (which is extremely verbose).
   
   Please Note:
   
   
   • For PGM files, when stored in the ASCII representation, there is a limit of 256 levels of gray.
     
     
   • For PPM files, when stored in the ASCII representation, there is a limit on the color range, effectively equivalent to 24-bit TrueColor.
   
   
2. A binary representaton (which is comparatively smaller).

• Portable Gray Map (File Format)
  
  
• Portable Pixel Map (File Format)

• Graphics File Formats

  By David C. Kay McGraw-Hill Companies Paperback (496 pages) Book Description: For software developers, systems managers, and computer hobbyists, this book will help bring a welcome sense of order to the chaotic world of graphics file format. David Kay and John Levine have compiled detailed specifications for 30 popular graphics file formats, so readers can more quickly and easily decide which standards are best for their applications. List Price: $29.95 Lowest Used Price: $1.65 (As of 13:46 Pacific 21 May 2008 More Info) Buy It Now

  
  
  
• Internet File Formats: Your Complete Resource for Sending, Receiving, and Using Internet Files

  By Tim Kientzle Coriolis Group Books Paperback (416 pages) Book Description: Provides a detailed file format dictionary to help you understand most of the major file formats found on the Internet. Comes with a CD-ROM jam-packed with programs and tools to help you work with the files you come across on the Internet. Includes player programs to use files you download from the Internet. Contains compression and decompression utilities, and utilities to help you convert files from one format to another. Offers the tools to help you create HTML files and publish on the Web, and efficiently transfer your files. Helps you to read, write, convert, and use most of the major file types encountered on the Internet. List Price: $39.99 Lowest New Price: $3.99 Lowest Used Price: $0.35 (As of 14:55 Pacific 21 May 2008 More Info) Buy It Now

• Able Graphic Manager
  Able Graphic Manager is a program that enables you to easily view, print and convert graphic files in normal (file by file) and batch (many files at a time) modes. Input formats include Drawing Interchange Format (DXF), TIFF, JPEG, BMP, RLE, PNG, WMF, EMF, TARGA, VDA, ICB, VST, PIX, PXM, PPM, PGM, PBM and ICO, CUR. Output formats include JPEG, TIFF, PCX, PNG, BMP, Targa, PXM, PPM, PGM and PBM.

• PBM, PGM, PNM and PPM: Summary from the Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats
  Unofficial technical/programming information about this file format.
  
  
• pbmplus