
Easy way to create and convert AVIF (lossless and lossy) in Windows
January 15, 2025
Contents
- AVIF image format: How to create AVIF lossless and lossy and convert to JPG
- Why AVIF is better
- Examples of AVIF files
- Utility for converting to AVIF format and from AVIF format to other formats
- How to convert an image to AVIF
- How to convert an image from AVIF format to JPG and any other format
- Easy way to convert AVIF without installing programs
1. AVIF image format: How to create AVIF lossless and lossy and convert to JPG
This article is about the AVIF image format: we will look at how to convert a photo from JPG (or any other format) to AVIF; how to vice versa convert AVIF format to JPG and other popular image formats; how to create AVIF compressed lossless and lossy; and how to view AVIF file properties.
2. Why AVIF is better
You may have noticed that some websites have switched to the AVIF format as their primary format for photos and images. What are the benefits of the AVIF format?
The AVIF format is the newest and most technically advanced photo format. AVIF files take up less space than JPG and even HEIC while maintaining the same quality.
AVIF will be the format that replaces HEIC (after it replaces JPG).
AVIF supports both high dynamic range (HDR) and standard dynamic range (SDR) content, including the widely used sRGB and BT.2020 color spaces. It supports 8-, 10-, and 12-bit color depths, film grain preservation, transparency (like PNG images), and animation (like GIF).
The new image format features higher image quality than JPEG, with a smaller file size, fewer compression artifacts, and less image blocking.
HEIC is widely supported by both consumer applications on devices (photo viewers on computers and phones) and online (all web browsers support AVIF, WordPress (with a plugin) and many websites support AVIF)
Also see: How to open AVIF files on Windows
3. Examples of AVIF files
Below are several AVIF files and their JPG counterparts – you can compare the quality and size of the files. To download the files in full size – click on them.
1) JPG file (size 4.3 megabytes):
AVIF file (size 836 kilobytes):
2) JPG file (size 3.9 megabytes):
AVIF file (size 875 kilobytes):
3) JPG file (size 3.7 megabytes):
AVIF file (size 563 kilobytes):
4) JPG file (size 4.6 megabytes):
AVIF file (size 1 megabyte):
As you can see, the size of the AVIF files is several times smaller than the size of the JPG files, while the quality of the photos is very high.
4. Utility for converting to AVIF format and from AVIF format to other formats
In this tutorial we will use ImageMagick, if you do not have this package installed yet, see the article “How to install and use ImageMagick on Windows”.
See also: ImageMagick guide: installing, using, and troubleshooting
5. How to convert an image to AVIF
To save any photo to AVIF, use the following command:
magick ORIGINAL_FILE NEW_FILE.avif
For example, I want to convert the file 20240122_124715.jpg to AVIF, then the command will be:
magick 20240122_124715.jpg 20240122_124715.avif
Note: the new file name can be anything, just make sure you specify the file extension correctly.
Note 2: You can convert to AVIF not only from JPG, but from any other image formats.
6. How to convert an image from AVIF format to JPG and any other format
To convert photos in AVIF format, use the following command:
magick ORIGINAL_FILE.avif NEW_FILE
Please note that the format of NEW_FILE will match the specified extension. For example, to convert to JPG, the command should be as follows:
magick ORIGINAL_FILE.avif NEW_FILE.jpg
For example:
magick 20240111_124943.avif beach.jpg
And to convert to WebP format, the command should be as follows:
magick ORIGINAL_FILE.avif NEW_FILE.webp
For example:
magick 20240111_124943.avif beach.webp
See also: What is a WebP file and how is it better than other formats
7. Easy way to convert AVIF without installing programs
If you want to convert photos to AVIF format or you need to convert a picture from AVIF format or you want to view the properties of an AVIF file, but you do not want to install programs and deal with the command line, then you can use online services to perform all these functions:
- Free online AVIF converter service to reduce the size of images without losing quality: https://suip.biz/?act=convert-to-avif
- Online converter from AVIF to JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP and other popular formats: https://suip.biz/?act=convert-from-avif
- Free online service to display AVIF image properties: https://suip.biz/?act=check-avif
Immediately after processing and sending you the results, your files are deleted from the server (both the original file and the one obtained as a result of conversion).
Using the services is extremely simple – you just need to specify the file you want to process.
Additional options are also available for those who need more – you can convert to lossless AVIF format or choose from a list of popular formats if you need to convert an AVIF file.
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