.exr
EXR file: what it is and how to convert it
An .exr file is an OpenEXR image: the high-dynamic-range format 3D renderers (Blender, Maya, Houdini) and compositors (Nuke, After Effects) write.
- Add your EXR filesDrop in single files or a whole folder.
- Pick output formatJPG, PNG, TIFF, PDF and more.
- Click ConvertEvery file converted in one pass.
It stores floating-point colour that can be far brighter than white, so Windows Photos and browsers cannot show it. GIMP and Blender open it free. Contenta Converter batch converts EXR renders to PNG, JPG or TIFF for review, slides and the web.
How to open a .EXR file on Windows
- GIMP (free). Opens .exr files and exports PNG or JPG, one at a time.
- Blender (free). Load the EXR in the image editor and save it as PNG with the display transform applied.
- Contenta Converter, for folders. Drop a folder or an image sequence of .exr renders and get PNG, JPG or TIFF in one batch, resized or renamed in the same pass.
Before you convert EXR files
- What changes in the conversion
The range and the extra channels. PNG, JPG and TIFF hold 8 bits per channel in a standard range, so the floating-point values of the EXR are tone-mapped into 256 steps and the detail above white is compressed into the highlights. Depth, normal, ID and other auxiliary channels are not exported; only the colour image and, in PNG and TIFF, its alpha are. Keep the EXR as the master for compositing. - What Contenta Converter does with EXR
Contenta Converter reads single-part EXR files through FreeImage, takes the RGB and alpha channels, and writes PNG, JPG, TIFF, WEBP or PDF in one batch, with resize, rename and watermark available in the same pass. The floating-point image is tone-mapped to 8 bits with the Drago operator, which is a preview rendering rather than your renderer's view transform. Multi-part and deep EXR files, and layers other than the default RGBA, are not read.
The same photo, five outputs
DSC_0001.NEF · 3900×2613- PNG.png1.9 s16.1 MB
- AVIF.avif2.2 s2.02 MB
- JPG.jpg1.7 s1.69 MB
- WebP.webp1.7 s1.32 MB
- JPEG XL.jxl1.7 s1.12 MB
Format |
EXR |
| Description | OpenEXR (.exr) is the high-dynamic-range image format Industrial Light & Magic released in 2003, used since by the film and 3D industry for renders, composites and HDR photography. It stores 16- or 32-bit floating-point values per channel, so a pixel can be far brighter than white, and one file can carry many channels and layers: colour, alpha, depth, normals, object IDs. |
| Benefits | Floating-point colour with range far beyond white and black. Lossless and lossy compression choices. Many channels and layers in one file. The exchange format of 3D renderers, compositors and VFX pipelines. |
| Drawbacks | Large files. Browsers, Windows Photos and most photo editors do not open it. Any JPG, PNG or TIFF made from it is a standard-range 8-bit picture: the extra brightness range and the auxiliary channels do not fit. |
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EXR image organization
EXR image processing
EXR image annotation
Frequently Asked Questions about EXR
How do I open an EXR file on Windows?
Windows Photos cannot. GIMP, Blender, Krita and Affinity Photo open OpenEXR; Photoshop does too. For a quick look at many renders, convert the folder to PNG or JPG with Contenta Converter and browse them in any viewer.
Why does my converted EXR look different from the render?
An EXR holds linear light values with no display curve, and every program that writes it to 8 bits has to choose how to compress that range. Contenta Converter tone-maps it, which keeps highlights readable but is not your renderer's view transform. For the exact look, export from the renderer with the display transform (sRGB or Filmic) applied.
Can I convert an EXR image sequence to PNG in one go?
Yes. Drop the folder of frames into Contenta Converter, choose PNG and click Start Converting. Each frame becomes a PNG with the same name, so the sequence stays in order for video editors.
Need more than EXR conversion? Browse supported cameras that produce EXR files below, or: