Short answer: a graphic converter for Mac turns images from one format into another, HEIC to JPG or PNG to PDF, on your own computer. macOS ships two free ones: Preview and the Finder’s Convert Image quick action. For hundreds of files, saved settings, or formats Preview can’t open, a dedicated app does the same work without uploading anything.
If you typed GraphicConverter as one word, you probably mean the app by Lemke Software. I’ve never used it, so I won’t review it. It has been on the Mac for a long time, and it’s an image browser and editor as much as a converter. If that’s what you’re after, get it from Lemke Software’s own site, not from a download mirror.
I make Picmal, a different kind of graphic converter. This page covers all the options, mine included, and where each one fits.
The problem with online graphic converters
Search for a graphic converter and half the results are websites. Upload, wait, download. For one file, fine. For more, they get awkward: size limits, a queue, a daily cap, a zip file at the end.
Then there’s what you’re uploading. A screenshot of a bank statement, photos of your kids, a client’s product before launch. Every one of them passes through a server you know nothing about.
That’s why I built Picmal. I was tired of visiting a sketchy website every time I needed one quick conversion. For anything private, a graphic converter for Mac that runs locally is the safer default.
The free graphic converters already on your Mac
Quick Actions in Finder
Select the images, right-click, then Quick Actions > Convert Image. Pick JPEG, PNG or HEIF and a size. It makes copies and leaves your originals alone. For a handful of photos this is the right answer, and it costs nothing.
Preview
Open the images in Preview, select them all in the sidebar, then File > Export Selected Images and choose a format. Preview reads more formats than Quick Actions and can export to PDF and TIFF. It slows down on big batches and puts everything into one flat folder.
sips in Terminal
mkdir convertedsips -s format png *.heic --out ./convertedOne line converts a whole folder. No interface and no undo, but it’s fast and it’s already installed.
A local image converter for Mac
When the free tools stop fitting, you want a native app. Native means it runs on your Mac and uses your Mac’s processor. Your files never leave the machine. No account to make, nothing to upload, and the only limit is your disk.
That’s the kind of app Picmal is. It converts and compresses images, video, audio and PDFs locally, across 100+ formats. It’s a one-time purchase, not a subscription, and updates are included. John Voorhees reviewed it for MacStories in November 2025, and it has had 88 releases in its first 15 months.
Convert hundreds of images at once
Converting one image is easy anywhere. The real test of a graphic converter is a folder of several hundred.
Batch conversion means you point the app at the whole folder, pick a format once, and walk away. Three things matter: does it keep your folder structure, does it keep each photo’s date and location, and does it stay responsive at a thousand files. Check those on any app before you pay for it.
Picmal batch processes hundreds of files at once. I wrote a longer guide to batch convert images on your Mac that covers every free method too.
How Picmal works
- Drop the files in, or select them in Finder and use the right-click Quick Action.
- Pick a format or a preset. A preset keeps the settings you use every week, so next time it’s one click.
- Get the converted copies on your Mac. Nothing was uploaded, so there’s nothing to download.
What else it does
The same app also:
- can compress images to a smaller file size, in batches
- turns a folder of images into a single PDF, which is the quickest way to convert PNG to PDF on a Mac when you have many
- splits, merges and reorders PDF pages
- converts video and audio, merges videos, and joins or splits audio
Where you can run it from
A converter you have to open is one you’ll avoid. I wanted Picmal to be reachable from everywhere, because people work in different ways:
- Finder Quick Actions. Right-click any image and convert it from the Finder right-click menu.
- Shortcuts. Put a conversion inside a shortcut and run it with everything else you automate.
- Raycast. Convert without leaving the keyboard.
- Folder watching. Point it at a folder, and anything that lands there gets converted with your preset.
Which graphic converter should you use?
- A few photos, once: Quick Actions. Free and already there.
- Odd formats, or a quick edit first: Preview. If you want a full image browser and editor, GraphicConverter is the long-standing option.
- Scripts: sips or ImageMagick in Terminal.
- Hundreds of files, every week, kept private: a native app like Picmal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best graphics software for a MacBook?
It depends on the job. To convert a few images, Preview and the Finder’s Quick Actions are free and already installed. For photo editing, Pixelmator Pro and Affinity Photo are the usual picks. To convert or compress hundreds of files without uploading them, a dedicated batch app like Picmal saves the most time.
How can I convert a PNG image to PDF on my Mac?
Open the PNG in Preview and choose File > Export as PDF. For several images in one PDF, select them in Finder, right-click, and choose Quick Actions > Create PDF. Picmal can also turn a whole folder of images into a single PDF. The same steps work if you need to convert HEIC to PDF.
What is the best free graphic design app for Mac?
For layout and interface work, Figma has a free plan that covers most needs. For photo editing, GIMP is free and capable, if a little rough around the edges. None of them is a converter first. To change a file’s format for free, Preview does it without installing anything.
How to convert to PNG on Mac?
Open the image in Preview, choose File > Export, and pick PNG from the Format menu. For many files at once, select them in Finder, right-click, choose Quick Actions > Convert Image, and pick PNG. Both make copies. For whole folders, or formats Preview can’t open, use a batch converter.
Is there a graphic converter that doesn’t upload my files?
Yes. Preview, the Finder’s Quick Actions and the sips command all run on your Mac and send nothing anywhere. So does Picmal, which also handles batches of hundreds of files across 100+ formats. Online converters are the ones that upload. If a site asks you to drop files into a browser, they’re leaving your Mac.
Can I convert images in batches on a Mac?
Yes. Select the images in Finder and use Quick Actions > Convert Image for a free batch. For folders of hundreds, the sips command in Terminal or a dedicated app works better. Picmal batch processes hundreds of files at once and saves your settings as presets, so a repeat job takes one click.
Does a Mac graphic converter work without an internet connection?
The local ones do. Preview, Quick Actions, sips and Picmal convert images with your Wi-Fi off, because nothing goes to a server. Online converters stop working the moment you’re offline. If you convert files on trains, on planes, or just on a bad connection, that alone decides it.
Trying Picmal
If you want a graphic converter that stays on your Mac, handles a whole folder at once, and is bought once, try Picmal for 7 days. The trial is the full app. If you buy it and it isn’t right for you, there’s a 14-day refund, and students get 40% off with a school email.
