Free online PNG to PS converter

A print queue, typesetting program, or older graphics workflow may require a PostScript file instead of a PNG. Converting places the raster image on a PostScript page, but it does not turn its pixels into editable vector artwork.

What the PNG format is

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a raster image format that stores a picture as pixels. It uses lossless compression and can store transparency through an alpha channel, making it common for screenshots, web graphics, diagrams, logos, interface assets, and scanned images.

Browsers, screenshot utilities, office software, image editors, and design applications commonly create .png files. PNG is well suited to images that need exact pixel preservation, but its transparency and color information may not survive unchanged in a PostScript workflow.

What the PS format is

PS is a file containing PostScript instructions, a page-description language developed for printers, typesetting systems, and graphics software. A PostScript interpreter in a printer, RIP, viewer, or Ghostscript renders instructions for page size, text, paths, colors, and raster images.

PostScript can describe vector artwork and text as well as embedded raster images. It is used in some print-production systems, legacy publishing workflows, printer queues, and applications that require a device-independent page description. When a PNG is converted, its pixel data remains a raster image inside the PS file; the conversion does not create editable paths or text.

How to convert a PNG to PS

For a no-install conversion, use the converter on 101convert.com: select the PNG file, choose PS as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .ps file. Confirm the required page size and image placement in the target workflow, because a basic format conversion may not create the exact print layout you need.

ImageMagick provides a local command-line method on Windows, macOS, and Linux. In a terminal opened in the folder containing the source file, run:

magick input.png -units PixelsPerInch -density 300 output.ps

Replace the filenames as needed. The 300-dpi setting assigns the raster image a print resolution; it cannot add detail that was not present in the PNG. A 1200 × 900 pixel image placed at 300 pixels per inch occupies approximately 4 × 3 inches.

To create a Letter-sized page and flatten transparency against white, use:

magick input.png -background white -alpha remove -alpha off -units PixelsPerInch -density 300 -page Letter output.ps

Use -page A4 for an A4 canvas. -page sets the page canvas but does not automatically center, crop, or proportionally fit the image. For exact margins or placement, prepare the image on a canvas of the required size or add ImageMagick geometry and gravity options before writing the PS file.

A graphical application with PostScript export can also perform the conversion. Open the PNG, set its intended physical size or resolution, then choose File → Export or File → Print and select PostScript. Set the required paper size, orientation, color mode, and printer or RIP profile when those options are available. Menu names and the quality of the generated PS vary between applications.

Quality and compatibility limits

Changing the output resolution does not improve image quality. For printed images, about 300 pixels per inch at the final physical size is a common target; enlarging a small PNG produces blurred or pixelated output. A PNG that is 600 × 600 pixels, for example, provides roughly a 2 × 2 inch image at 300 pixels per inch.

Standard PostScript does not provide PNG-style alpha transparency as a directly preserved channel. Transparent regions can render differently across interpreters, so flatten them against a deliberate background before conversion, for example with -background white -alpha remove -alpha off. This changes transparent areas to the selected background color.

A normal single-image conversion produces one PS page. Animated PNG frames, application layers, editing history, and most PNG-specific metadata are not preserved. Indexed or RGB color data may also be interpreted according to the PostScript device and color-management settings, so verify colors in the destination workflow.

Check the output with Ghostscript, a PostScript-capable viewer, or the intended printer and RIP. Some current operating systems and office applications accept PDF but no longer include native PostScript support; if the recipient specifically requires PS, confirm whether it expects a particular PostScript level, page size, or printer driver.