What is a converter? Explained in a simple and understandable way

Converters are used in many areas. But what is a converter anyway? We explain it to you in this practical tip.

Simply explained: a converter does that

Converters are used to move things or data from one format to another in order to optimize them for specific purposes or programs. This is very important for RAW photo files, for example.

• When converting files, a suitable program reads the original format and evaluates the information it contains.
• If, for example, an image program has opened an image, you can save it in a different file format than the original format and convert the image with it - that is, convert it.
• Depending on the target file format, such a conversion is lossless or lossy. For example, PNG images are lossless, while JPGs lose information.
• For image and audio files, lossy formats can lead to a greater drop in quality. For most users, the loss is hardly noticeable.
• With the loss of quality, however, there is usually also a decisive advantage: with suitable compression, the file size is reduced and less hard disk space is required.

You can find more information on saving storage space in the next practical tip. We explain how to compress images without special software.