quicklook-pfm for Mac

Overview and purpose

Quicklook-pfm is a free macOS plugin that expands the built-in Quick Look preview so it can display additional raw image formats. Instead of launching an image editor, you can inspect files directly from Finder, speeding up common tasks for anyone handling these types of images.

Supported image formats

• PBM — Portable Bitmap (binary/ASCII black-and-white bitmaps)
• PFM — Portable FloatMap (floating-point pixel data)
• PGM — Portable GrayMap (grayscale images)
• PPM — Portable PixMap (color images)

Installation and how to use

Installation is simple: add the plugin to your system’s Quick Look plugins folder (or use a package manager if available), then refresh Quick Look or log out and back in. Once installed, select an image file in Finder and press the spacebar to preview it instantly — no separate app launch required.

Who will find it helpful

• Developers and engineers working with raw or scientific image files
• Graphic and digital artists who encounter these formats occasionally
• Anyone who wants faster image inspection without opening full applications

Alternative option

• CheatSheet (free) — suggested as a lightweight substitute for users looking for quick-access utilities, though it serves different purposes than an image preview plugin

Overall, Quicklook-pfm is a compact, practical addition to a Mac utility set for anyone who regularly needs quick previews of PBM/PGM/PFM/PPM files.