Extract text from PNG world files (PGW)
To convert PGW world files to another format, you need ArcGIS Pro or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "PNG World File" file type, you need software like ArcGIS Pro or a similar tool.
A .PGW file is a plain text World File used to georeference a PNG image. Developed originally by Esri, it provides the geographic location, pixel scale, and rotation data needed by Geographic Information System (GIS) software to correctly place a 2D raster image onto a digital map. Because it is strictly text-based, you can open a .PGW file using ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Global Mapper, or any simple text editor like Notepad.
The critical disadvantage of the .PGW format is its "sidecar" architecture. The geographic coordinates are not embedded inside the image itself. If a user emails or moves the PNG but forgets the accompanying .PGW, all spatial positioning is permanently lost. Additionally, a .PGW file only holds six lines of affine transformation parameters. It does not store the actual Coordinate Reference System (CRS) or map projection data, meaning you usually need an extra PRJ or .AUX.XML file just to make it function accurately.
To prevent data loss, you should convert these fragile sidecar files into unified formats. For professional editing and archiving, merge your PNG and .PGW into a GeoTIFF (TIF), which embeds all spatial headers directly inside a single file. If you are converting your base image to a smaller format for the web, convert the .PGW text to a JGW file to match a JPEG image.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PGW file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PNG, ZIP, VRT, GEOJSON and GDBINDEXES files.
If you want to convert PGW file to , you can use ArcGIS Pro or similar software from the "Geospatial Image Registration" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to PGW, try ArcGIS Pro or another comparable tool in the "Geospatial Image Registration" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PGW converter.