Convert camera RAW to JPG on your Mac
CR2, NEF, ARW, RAF and more. Picmal decodes your camera's raw files with correct white balance and batch-exports an entire shoot to JPG. Fast, offline, and private. No Lightroom subscription.
$29 once, updates included. No account, no subscription, works offline. Need 2, 5 or 10 Macs?
Convert your shoot in 3 steps
- 1
Drop your RAW files
Drag a whole folder straight from your memory card or Finder.
- 2
Choose JPG & quality
Pick JPG (or PNG/TIFF) and set the quality you need.
- 3
Convert the batch
Click Convert and the whole shoot is ready in minutes.
The free ways to convert RAW on a Mac
macOS can already convert a RAW file. Here is what each built-in method does and where it stops being enough.
Finder Quick Actions
Right-click a RAW file, pick Quick Actions, then Convert Image. It is the fastest route for one or two shots. There is no quality setting, every file lands in the same folder, and it crawls on a full memory card.
Preview
Open the batch in Preview, press Command-A, then File, Export Selected Images. Good for a few dozen files. Past that it gets slow, and Preview often shows the embedded JPEG preview instead of decoding the sensor data, so the colors can come out flat.
Photos
Import the RAW files, then File, Export, Export Photos. Reliable, but it puts every frame in your Photos library first. On a client shoot, or a card you plan to wipe, that is a lot of cleanup.
Picmal
I built Picmal for the case those three do not cover: a whole card at once. Drag the folder in, pick JPG, set the quality. Picmal decodes each file with the camera's own white balance, keeps your folder structure, and never uploads anything. It all happens on your Mac. For the step-by-step version of all four, read how to convert RAW to JPG on Mac.
Convert any camera RAW format
Jump to the format your camera writes.
Convert Sony ARW to JPG
Drop a card of ARW files into Picmal, pick JPG, and convert the lot. Picmal reads the white balance your Alpha body recorded, so the JPGs look like the shot you framed, not the flat preview Finder shows you.
ARW stands for Sony Alpha Raw, the format written by the α7 IV, α7R V, and α6700. Sony has shipped several ARW revisions across Alpha generations; Picmal decodes them all to JPG without hunting for the right Imaging Edge version.
Convert Canon CR2 and CR3 to JPG
Canon uses two raw formats and Picmal converts both to JPG on your Mac. Mix CR2 and CR3 files in the same batch if you shoot a DSLR and a mirrorless body on the same job.
CR2 is Canon Raw Version 2, written by the EOS 5D Mark III/IV, 7D, and Rebel series. CR3 is Canon Raw Version 3, written by the EOS R5, R6, and the RF mirrorless lineup. Canon's free Digital Photo Professional opens CR2, but it's slow for bulk exports, so Picmal turns a full card of CR2 captures into JPGs in a single pass.
Convert Nikon NEF to JPG
Point Picmal at a folder of NEF files and it converts the whole shoot to JPG offline. Your Picture Control settings are read from each file, so skin tones and skies come out the way the camera metered them.
NEF stands for Nikon Electronic Format, written by the D850, Z6, and Z9. Nikon's free NX Studio reads NEF but processes one image at a time, so Picmal batch-renders an entire NEF folder to JPG without the wait.
Convert Adobe DNG to JPG
DNG is the format your phone, your drone, or Adobe's converter writes when it wants a raw file anything can read. Picmal turns a folder of DNG files into JPGs on your Mac, no Lightroom needed.
DNG stands for Digital Negative, Adobe's open raw standard, and over 50 camera makers and editing tools support it. Because it is documented in public, DNG is the safest raw format to archive, but it is still unreadable to browsers, email, and most apps until you convert it.
Every RAW format Picmal reads
RAW files are input-only. Picmal decodes them to JPG, PNG or TIFF, but no app can turn a JPG back into a RAW file.
Built for photographers, not subscriptions
No monthly fee
A one-time $29, not a subscription like Lightroom or Capture One. Just get your JPGs and move on.
Correct colors
Camera white balance, demosaicing, and gamma applied, so your JPGs look the way the shot was meant to.
Whole shoots, offline
Batch hundreds of raw files at once, entirely on your Mac. Nothing uploaded, nothing phoned home.
What people are
saying about Picmal
"Clean and easy to use. Perfect for quickly converting images without unnecessary extras."
"Everything works as expected - great app!"
"Great app! Simple and easy to use."
"It works perfectly now! Thanks and good work. It's really the kind of utility that I find very useful. I know that there are tons of free online tools doing the same thing but it's so much faster that way."
"Wonderfully simple app! I struggled with converting my images from one format to another constantly with online free tools. Picmal makes it effortless. Worth the money to avoid the hassle for sure!"
"You did a great job here! I like how easy Picmal is to use, and the frequent upgrades show that you are very committed to improving this beautiful software."
"It's a Mac-assed Mac App. Focused, customizable, flexible, well designed and super fast. 10+ times a day I need to convert a file for use on a website. Picmal makes that process a joy. My favorite conversion is taking a multipage PDF and converting each page to an individual image with one click (something even Preview can't do)."
"I really like these kinds of tools: simple interface, focused functions, one-time purchase, and continuous updates."
"Been enjoying the app! Thanks for the very handy utility."
"I f* love this app. Just so you know. Keep building!"
"Clean and easy to use. Perfect for quickly converting images without unnecessary extras."
"Everything works as expected - great app!"
"Great app! Simple and easy to use."
"It works perfectly now! Thanks and good work. It's really the kind of utility that I find very useful. I know that there are tons of free online tools doing the same thing but it's so much faster that way."
"Wonderfully simple app! I struggled with converting my images from one format to another constantly with online free tools. Picmal makes it effortless. Worth the money to avoid the hassle for sure!"
"You did a great job here! I like how easy Picmal is to use, and the frequent upgrades show that you are very committed to improving this beautiful software."
"It's a Mac-assed Mac App. Focused, customizable, flexible, well designed and super fast. 10+ times a day I need to convert a file for use on a website. Picmal makes that process a joy. My favorite conversion is taking a multipage PDF and converting each page to an individual image with one click (something even Preview can't do)."
"I really like these kinds of tools: simple interface, focused functions, one-time purchase, and continuous updates."
"Been enjoying the app! Thanks for the very handy utility."
"I f* love this app. Just so you know. Keep building!"
Pay once and you're all set
Already own Picmal? Add more Macs
How many Macs?
2 Macs is $10 more
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Convert, compress and edit images, video, audio and PDFs
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Everything runs on your Mac, nothing gets uploaded
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Use it on 1 Mac
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Command line tool, Raycast extension and watched folders
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Free updates forever, no subscription
14-day refund, no questions asked. Needs macOS 15 or later.
More than 10 Macs? Email me.
Prices in USD, tax added at checkout, paid securely via Stripe.
How does the license work?
You pay once and keep it. No renewals, no subscriptions. Your license activates on the number of Macs you bought it for, and you can move it to another Mac whenever you want.
I bought Picmal and now I need more Macs. Can I upgrade?
Yes, and you only pay the difference. Going from 1 Mac to 2 is $10, 2 to 5 is $50, 5 to 10 is $60, and every other jump works the same way. Enter your license key here and the same key covers more Macs. The offer never expires, so starting small is never the wrong call.
What happens if I get a new Mac?
Open Picmal on your old Mac, go to Picmal → Register license to deactivate, then activate on the new one. Takes about ten seconds.
Do you offer student or country discounts?
Yes. I want Picmal to be affordable wherever you are. Students and educators get 40% off: verify your school email on the education page and the code lands in your inbox. If the price is steep for your country, checkout already adjusts it for you. If it still doesn't work, email support@picmal.app and tell me where you are, and I'll send a code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Something not covered here? Write to support@picmal.app
Which RAW formats can Picmal convert?
Picmal decodes Canon CR2 and CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Panasonic RW2, Olympus ORF, Pentax PEF, and Adobe DNG, then exports them to JPG, PNG, or TIFF.
Do I need Lightroom or Photoshop to convert RAW files?
No. Picmal decodes RAW files directly on your Mac with correct white balance and demosaicing. It's a one-time purchase of $29. No Adobe subscription required just to get shareable JPGs from your shoots.
Will the colors look right when I convert RAW to JPG?
Yes. Picmal reads the camera white balance embedded in each RAW file and applies proper demosaicing and gamma, so your JPGs reflect what the camera intended, not the flat, washed-out look of an unprocessed raw preview.
Can I batch convert an entire shoot at once?
Yes. Drag hundreds of RAW files, or a whole folder straight from your memory card, into Picmal and convert them all to JPG in a single pass. Ideal for culling and delivering shoots.
Can Picmal convert a JPG back into a RAW file?
No. RAW files contain unprocessed sensor data that only your camera can produce, and no software can rebuild a true RAW file from a JPG. Picmal converts RAW to standard formats like JPG, PNG, and TIFF, not the other way around.
How do I open ARW photos on a Mac?
macOS previews ARW files in Finder and opens them in Preview and Photos, so you can look at a shot without extra software. Sharing them is the problem: most apps and every website reject ARW. Convert the files to JPG first, and Picmal will do a whole card in a single pass.
How can I batch convert RAW images to JPG on my Mac?
Preview can export a selection of RAW files to JPG, which is fine for a few dozen. For hundreds, drag the folder into Picmal, pick JPG, set the quality, and convert. Picmal keeps your folder structure, applies the camera white balance to every file, and works offline.
Do my photos leave my Mac?
No. All decoding and conversion happens locally on your Mac. Picmal works completely offline. Your raw files never touch any server.