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How to Convert Images to JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF with FFmpeg (2026 Guide)

ffmpeg image-conversion tutorial
How to Convert Images to JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF with FFmpeg (2026 Guide)

FFmpeg isn’t just for video—it’s also a powerful tool for image format conversion. Whether you need to convert PNG screenshots to JPG, optimize images as WebP for the web, or create GIFs from image sequences, FFmpeg handles it all from the command line.

Of course, if typing commands isn’t your thing, we’ve got a free one-click solution at the end.

Prerequisites: Install FFmpeg

FFmpeg

macOS:

brew install ffmpeg

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg

Windows: Download from ffmpeg.org, extract, and add bin to your PATH.

Basic Image Conversions

PNG to JPG

ffmpeg -i input.png -q:v 2 output.jpg
  • -q:v 2 — JPEG quality (1 = best, 31 = worst). 2–5 is recommended.

JPG to PNG

ffmpeg -i input.jpg output.png

PNG is lossless, so no quality parameter needed.

PNG/JPG to WebP

ffmpeg -i input.png -quality 80 output.webp
  • -quality 80 — WebP quality (0–100). 75–85 is a good balance.

WebP to PNG

ffmpeg -i input.webp output.png

WebP to JPG

ffmpeg -i input.webp -q:v 2 output.jpg

BMP to PNG

ffmpeg -i input.bmp output.png

TIFF to JPG

ffmpeg -i input.tiff -q:v 2 output.jpg

Working with GIFs

Image Sequence to GIF

Convert a series of images (frame001.png, frame002.png, …) into an animated GIF:

ffmpeg -framerate 10 -i frame%03d.png -vf "scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos" output.gif
  • -framerate 10 — 10 frames per second
  • frame%03d.png — pattern matching frame001.png, frame002.png, etc.
  • scale=480:-1 — scale width to 480px, auto height
  • flags=lanczos — high-quality scaling algorithm

Video to GIF

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "fps=10,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos" -loop 0 output.gif

GIF to Image Sequence

Extract every frame from a GIF:

ffmpeg -i input.gif frame%03d.png

GIF to MP4

GIFs are huge—convert to MP4 for 90%+ size reduction:

ffmpeg -i input.gif -movflags +faststart -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4

Advanced Options

Control JPEG Quality

ffmpeg -i input.png -q:v 5 output.jpg
-q:vQualityFile Size
1BestLargest
2–3Very goodLarge
5GoodMedium
10AcceptableSmall
31WorstSmallest

Control WebP Quality

# Lossy WebP
ffmpeg -i input.png -quality 85 output.webp

# Lossless WebP
ffmpeg -i input.png -lossless 1 output.webp

Resize Images

Scale to specific width (maintain aspect ratio):

ffmpeg -i input.png -vf "scale=800:-1" output.png

Scale to specific dimensions:

ffmpeg -i input.png -vf "scale=800:600" output.jpg

Change Color Space

Convert to grayscale:

ffmpeg -i input.png -vf "format=gray" output.png

Batch Conversion

Convert All PNG to JPG

Linux/macOS:

for f in *.png; do
  ffmpeg -i "$f" -q:v 2 "${f%.png}.jpg"
done

Convert All JPG to WebP

for f in *.jpg; do
  ffmpeg -i "$f" -quality 80 "${f%.jpg}.webp"
done

Windows (PowerShell):

Get-ChildItem *.png | ForEach-Object {
  ffmpeg -i $_.Name -q:v 2 ($_.BaseName + ".jpg")
}

Common Errors and Fixes

“Output file is blank or all black” Some formats need explicit pixel format:

ffmpeg -i input.png -pix_fmt rgb24 output.jpg

“GIF output has terrible colors” GIFs are limited to 256 colors. Use a palette for better quality:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "fps=10,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos,palettegen" palette.png
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -i palette.png -lavfi "fps=10,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos[x];[x][1:v]paletteuse" output.gif

“Cannot determine format” Specify the format explicitly:

ffmpeg -f image2 -i input.bmp output.png

Skip the Terminal: Use WaveSpeed Desktop Instead

Converting one image is manageable with FFmpeg. Converting a batch of images while controlling quality, format, and size? That’s where it gets tedious fast.

WaveSpeed Desktop includes a built-in Image Converter that makes this effortless:

  • Drag and drop one or multiple images
  • Pick the output format (JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF)
  • Click convert — all done

No FFmpeg. No terminal. No remembering quality flags.

WaveSpeed Desktop Image Converter

Download WaveSpeed Desktop for free: https://github.com/WaveSpeedAI/wavespeed-desktop/releases

FAQ

What’s the best image format for the web? WebP offers the best compression-to-quality ratio. Use it when browser support isn’t a concern. Otherwise, JPEG for photos and PNG for graphics with transparency.

Does converting JPG to PNG improve quality? No. Like audio, you can’t recover information lost during JPEG compression. The PNG file will just be larger.

How much smaller is WebP compared to JPEG? Typically 25–35% smaller at equivalent visual quality.

Can FFmpeg handle RAW camera files? FFmpeg has limited RAW support. For RAW conversion, dedicated tools like ImageMagick or darktable are better choices.