---
name: "ppmtogif"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "netpbm"
version: "10.86.51-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ppmtogif"
---

# ppmtogif(1)

replaced by pamtogif

## NAME

ppmtogif - replaced by pamtogif

## DESCRIPTION

This program is part of **Netpbm**(1) .

**ppmtogif** was replaced in Netpbm 10.37 (December 2006) by [**pamtogif**(1)](/pamtogif/1.md) .

**pamtogif** is mostly backward compatible with **ppmtogif**.

One way **pamtogif** is not backward compatible with **ppmtogif** is that to specify a transparency (alpha) mask with **ppmtogif**, you supply the transparency as a separate pseudo-PGM image and use the **-alpha** option, whereas with **pamtogif**, you supply an input image that has the transparency integrated into it, and there is no **-alpha** option.

Another more obscure way **pamtogif** is not backward compatible is\
   the **-map** option.  You use this option to specify what colors you want\
   in the GIF image, because a GIF image can have at most 256 colors and your\
   input image might have more than that.  In **pamtogif**, the map image\
   must be the same depth as the input image, but in **ppmtogif** it need\
   not.

**ppmtogif** still exists as a separate program for backward compatibility, but it runs **pamtogif** to do the essential work.  The compatibility **ppmtogif** interprets an **-alpha** option by reading the transparency image and combining it with the input image, then feeding **pamtogif** the combined image it expects.  If you use the **-map** option, the compatibility **ppmtogif** also uses **pnmremap** on your input to make it the same depth as your map file.  Other than that, the compatibility **ppmtogif** just passes input and options directly to **pamtogif**.

You should not make any new use of **ppmtogif** and if you modify an existing use, you should upgrade to **pamtogif**.  But note that if you write a program that might have to be used with old Netpbm, **ppmtogif** is the only way to do that.

Unless you use the **-alpha** or **-map** option, you can simply\
   change the name of the program.  If you use **-alpha**, here is how to\
   upgrade:

```
  $ ppmtogif -alpha=myalpha.pgm myinput.ppm >myoutput.gif
```

becomes

```
  $ pamstack -tupletype=RGB_ALPHA myinput.ppm myalpha.pgm |  \
      pamtogif >myoutput.gif
```

## Original Ppmtogif

If you are using Netpbm before 10.37, **pamtogif** doesn't exist, so you use **ppmtogif**.  You can use the **pamtogif** manual for **ppmtogif**, with the following exceptions.

The current documentation of **pamtogif** documents all versions of that program.  Use the information for Version 10.37 only.

**ppmtogif** before Netpbm 10.31 does not accept PAM input at all.

**ppmtogif** does not accept PAM input with transparency information in it.  Instead, **ppmtogif** has an **-alpha** option.

The syntax of the option is **-alpha=***pgmfile*. **ppmtogif** treats the contents of the named PGM file the same as **pamtogif** treats the alpha plane of a PAM.  The PGM image must have the same dimensions as the input file.  But unlike the PAM case, the alpha image need not have the same maxval as the input. **ppmtogif** interprets the alpha file using the alpha file's maxval.

You cannot specify both **-transparent** and **-alpha**.

## DOCUMENT SOURCE

This manual page was generated by the Netpbm tool 'makeman' from HTML source.  The master documentation is at

-

  **http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/ppmtogif.html**