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PNG to Text Converter (PNG to Markdown)

Read the text in screenshots and PNG images with OCR and get it as clean Markdown for AI chats, notes and docs. Free, no sign-up.

  • Free to use
  • No file stored beyond 1 hour
  • Encrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3
  • No watermarks

Drag and drop your files here or click to upload.

Maximum file size is 1GB

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How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

  1. 01

    Upload your file

    Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

  2. 02

    Choose an output format

    Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

  3. 03

    Convert & download

    Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

Converting other files for an AI chat or notes app? File to Markdown takes PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more in one place.

PNG to Markdown

Why convert PNG to Markdown?

PNG is an image file and Markdown is a document file.

  • One file to share and print

    Put one or more images into a single Markdown that opens and prints the same on any device.

  • Where Markdown works best

    Notes and documentation written as plain text.

PNG vs Markdown: what's the difference?

PropertyPNGMarkdown
TypeImageDocument
CompressionLossless (no quality loss)—
Transparent backgroundYes—
AnimationNo—
Editable—Yes
Opens inEvery browser, phone and computerAny text editor; renders in GitHub, Notion and note apps
Best forLogos, screenshots, graphics and images with text or transparencyNotes and documentation written as plain text

What is a PNG file?

Portable Network Graphics

Developed By
PNG Development Group
Initial Release
1996
MIME Type
image/png

Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data compression, created as a patent-free replacement for the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). Standardized as ISO/IEC 15948:2004, PNG utilizes the DEFLATE compression algorithm (a combination of LZ77 and Huffman coding) and supports palette-based images, grayscale, and full-color non-palette-based RGB/RGBA images. A defining feature is its alpha channel support, allowing for variable transparency levels, unlike the binary transparency of GIF. It does not support animation but offers gamma correction and interlacing via the Adam7 algorithm.

How to open a PNG file

PNG files possess near-universal compatibility across all major operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS) and web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) without requiring additional software. Default image viewers such as Microsoft Photos, Apple Preview, and virtually all graphics editing software including GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, and Paint.NET natively handle the format.

What is an MD file?

Markdown Documentation

Developed By
John Gruber
Initial Release
2004
MIME Type
text/markdown

An MD file is a plain text document containing Markdown, a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz. The format uses non-alphabetic characters (such as hashes for headers and asterisks for emphasis) to define formatting syntax that is human-readable in its raw form and easily convertible to valid XHTML or HTML. It is the de facto standard for documentation in version control systems like Git.

How to open an MD file

As strictly plain text, MD files can be opened and edited in any basic text editor such as Microsoft Notepad or Apple TextEdit. For a rendered preview of the formatting, specialized editors like Obsidian, Typora, or Visual Studio Code are recommended.

More tools

More free image tools

All image conversions

Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

  • Convert PNG to MD in seconds

    Every PNG to MD conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

  • Fast, cloud-powered

    No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

  • Secure & private

    Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

  • Free - no account needed

    Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.

Developer API

Convert PNG to MD via API

Automate PNG to MD conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "png-to-md",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "md"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.png

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

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