Updates, guides, and thoughts about building a media conversion app for Mac
Both builds of Picmal convert and compress the same formats at the same quality, entirely on your Mac. The direct build adds the command line tool, Raycast, watched folders, and a few extra compressors.
July's Picmal releases: the Raycast extension, Vectorize and Remove Background, app icon export, audiobook chapters, Combine Videos, and video resolution caps.
Convert audio files on your Mac: M4A, FLAC, WAV, AAC, OGG to MP3 and back. Four methods with Picmal, the Music app, VLC, and FFmpeg. Batch a folder, no upload.
AVI won't play on your Mac? Convert AVI to MP4 with Picmal, HandBrake, VLC, or FFmpeg. Batch a whole folder, keep the quality, no upload. Step-by-step.
Convert HEVC (H.265) video to a widely compatible MP4 on your Mac. Four methods compared: Picmal, HandBrake, VLC, and FFmpeg, with quality and batch tips.
MKV won't play on your Mac? Convert MKV to MP4 with Picmal, HandBrake, VLC, or FFmpeg. Handle multiple audio and subtitle tracks, batch a folder, no upload.
MOV to MP4 on a Mac is often a fast remux with no quality loss. Convert with Picmal, HandBrake, or FFmpeg, batch a folder, and share anywhere. Step-by-step.
Convert camera RAW files (ARW, CR2, CR3, NEF, RAF, ORF, RW2, PEF) to JPG on your Mac. Batch-convert a whole shoot with correct colors, no subscription, no upload.
Compress video on your Mac to email or upload it: Picmal, HandBrake, iMovie, QuickTime, and FFmpeg. Shrink MP4, MOV, and MKV by 50-80% without visible quality loss.
June's Picmal releases: a new sidebar with Images to PDF and Combine PDFs, copyright stamping, a Custom metadata mode, faster video, and 17 new formats.
May's Picmal releases: schedule a batch for later, save your own compression presets, per-file priority, output subfolders, embedded album art, and ALAC output.
April's Picmal releases: burn-in subtitles and playback speed for video, watermark presets, EXIF-based filename patterns, audio resampling, and a redesigned Settings.
Comparing Permute 3 and Picmal for image, video, and audio conversion on Mac. Features, pricing, format support, and which one fits your workflow.
Convert JPEG, PNG, and other images to WebP on your Mac. Reduce file sizes by 25-50% for faster websites without visible quality loss.
Compress JPEG images on Mac to reduce file size for email, web, or storage. Covers Preview, Terminal, and batch compression with quality comparisons.
Convert HEIC photos to PNG on your Mac when you need lossless quality or transparency. Covers Preview, Terminal, and batch conversion.
How to compress images for your website on a Mac, locally and in batch, without uploading to third-party tools. Covers WebP, AVIF, and the settings that actually matter.
Every way to convert images offline on your Mac, with no uploads and no third-party servers. Covers Preview, Quick Actions, Automator, and the command line.
Five free ways to shrink a Photos library on a Mac: the built-in Duplicates album, iCloud storage settings, compressing screenshots, and archiving RAW. What I actually did to go from 74GB to 28GB.
Resize hundreds of images at once on your Mac using Preview, Automator, Terminal, or a batch resizer. Step-by-step for each method.
Convert AVIF images to JPG on your Mac. AVIF is the next-gen web format most tools still can't open, so here's how to turn them into JPGs that work everywhere.
Convert WebP images to PNG on your Mac using Preview, Terminal, online tools, or a batch converter. Keep transparency and sharp edges intact.
Four free ways to convert SVG to PNG on a Mac, no upload required: Preview, the built-in qlmanage Terminal command, your browser, and rsvg-convert. Plus how to batch hundreds at a set size.
Compress PNG images on Mac to reduce file size while keeping transparency and sharp edges. Covers Preview, Terminal, and batch compression tools.
Five practical ways to reduce image file sizes on your Mac: resize, compress, convert to a modern format, or strip metadata. With actual before and after numbers.
Convert TIFF files to JPG on your Mac using Preview, Terminal, or a batch converter. Step-by-step instructions for single files and entire folders.
Convert WebP images to JPG on your Mac using Preview, Terminal, online tools, or a dedicated converter. Step-by-step guide with batch conversion options.
Compare the 8 best media converter apps for Mac in 2026. We review Picmal, HandBrake, Permute, ffWorks, XnConvert, Kompressor, Compresto, and How To Convert across images, video, and audio.
A practical comparison of license management tools for indie Mac developers: Stripe, Creem, Polar, LicenseSeat, Amore, and Keygen. Includes the key distinction between purchase-linked and standalone licenses.
ImageOptim only handles 4 formats and can't convert or resize. Here are 7 alternatives for Mac that support AVIF, WebP, HEIC, batch processing, and more.
Learn how to activate Picmal's Services to add Convert and Compress options directly to your right-click context menu on Mac.
Convert a HEIC to JPG on your Mac in seconds, free, using Quick Actions or Preview. Six methods compared, how to keep your EXIF data, and what to do with a whole folder.
Compare top batch image converter software for Mac. Review Picmal, BatchPhoto, XnConvert, Adapter and Kompressor to find the right tool for quickly and easily converting images privately.
A practical guide to publishing your macOS app outside the App Store: notarization, code signing, Sparkle auto-updates, licensing, and distribution lessons from building Picmal.
Tired of digital chaos? Learn how to organize digital photos with this practical guide on building a system that lasts, from folders to secure backups.
Learn how to convert PNG to JPEG Mac effortlessly. Our guide covers simple methods, batch conversion, and quality tips to make your task easy and quick.
Learn what is image file format, including types like JPEG & PNG, and how to choose the right one for your needs. Discover key details in this guide.
JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, SVG and more. Which image format to use for the web, when, and why, with clear picks for speed, quality, and file size.
Complete 2025 guide to choosing the right image format for web and print, comparing JPG, PNG, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC, TIFF and SVG by quality, file size and browser support.
The fastest ways to batch convert hundreds of HEIC photos on your Mac, offline and with no file size limits. Covers Preview, Automator, the sips command line, and when an app is worth it.
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