How to Add Image Conversion Options to Windows 11’s Context Menu
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuickly convert your images with a context menu option in Windows 11.
There are lots of image conversion software packages available for Windows 11. Such software enables you to convert images to different file formats. However, many don’t integrate with Windows 11’s context menu.
File Converter and Sage Thumbs are two noteworthy exceptions that add conversion options to Explorer’s context menu in Windows. Those software packages enable you to convert images from the context menu by right-clicking their files. This is how you can add image conversion options to Windows 11’s context menu with those software packages.
How to Add Image Conversion Context Menu Options With File Converter
File Converter is a freeware conversion tool for the Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Vista platforms. You can convert various types of images, document, videos, and audio files to alternative formats via the context menu with this software. It supports four image conversion output formats (PNG, JPG, ICO, and Webp). You can add image conversion options to Explorer’s context menu with File Converter as follows:
- Open the File Converter website.
- Select Download on that website.
- Use one of the many ways to open Windows Explorer to find the downloaded FileConverter-1.2.3-x64-setup.msi installer.
- Double-click FileConverter-1.2.3-x64-setup.msi to open File Converter’s setup wizard.
- Select Next to view the end-user agreement.
- Click the checkbox for the I accept option.
- Select Next again, and click Change if you want to choose a different destination directory. Select an alternative directory and click OK.
- Press the Next button to bring up the option for installing SageThumbs.
- Click Install > Finish to complete the setup.
Now you’ll see image conversion options on the context menu for compatible input file formats. Bring up a folder that includes some PNG, JPG, BMP, or TIFF images. Then right-click a picture file and select Show more options to bring up the classic context menu. Move the cursor over the new File Converter submenu, and select a conversion option from there.
A File Converter window will then quickly flash up and close. The output file is saved in the same folder that includes the image you selected to convert. It will have the same file name with a number added.
You can view the File Conversion window by selecting the Configure presets option on the submenu. The Conversion Presets tab on that window enables you to change input formats for conversion options. Select a conversion option on the left, and then uncheck or check the input format checkboxes for it.
You can also set JPG and PNG conversion options to rotate output images. Select the To JPG or To PNG option. Then click one of the 90, 180, and 270-degree radio buttons for the Rotate option. Select Save to apply your new preset settings.
All image presets include Scale options. Dragging the Scale bar’s slider left will shrink the output picture. For example, setting that option to 50 percent will effectively halve the size of the image, which will also make the file smaller. The To small PNG context menu option converts images to 25 percent the size of their originals.
How to Add Image Conversion Context Menu Options With SageThumbs
SageThumbs is an alternative image file converter that’s compatible with Windows platforms dating back to 2000. This software enables you to convert a multitude of image formats to BMP, JMP, GIF, and PNG files from the right-click menu. It also displays a thumbnail preview of the selected image, which is a good touch. This is how you can add options for converting images to the context menu with SageThumbs:
- Head over to the SageThumbs page on Softpedia.
- Select the Download and External Mirror options for SageThumbs.
- Open the tab in your web browser software that shows downloaded files. You can view that Downloads tab by pressing Ctrl + J in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera.
- Click the sagethumbs_2.0.0.23_setup.exe file in your browser to view the installer for SageThumbs.
- Select Next and the I Agree checkbox for SageThumbs’ agreement terms.
- Then you can keep on clicking Next to install SageThumbs with default settings. Select Browse to choose a different destination folder if preferred.
- Select Install to add a SageThumbs submenu to your context menu.
- Choose the Reboot now option.
- Click Finish to restart.
The black text on the SageThumbs submenu won’t be clear with Windows 11 set to dark mode. So, switch to light mode via Settings if you’ve selected the Dark option. Then File Explorer’s context menu will have a light background that doesn’t clash with the black text.
After restarting, you can convert some images with SageThumbs. Open a folder that includes an image, right-click that file and select Show more options. Move your cursor over SageThumbs to bring up its submenu. Then select one of the Convert to options from there. The software automatically saves converted images in the original file’s source folder.
You’ll notice the SageThumbs submenu includes some other handy options. There you can also select Send image by mail to send a picture with your default email software. Or select the Set stretched wallpaper option to add the image to your desktop’s background.
To view software settings, click SageThumbs Options at the bottom of the context menu. You can select or deselect supported file types on the SageThumbs Options window. The PNG format is surprisingly not selected by default. Click the PNG checkbox so you can convert PNG images to JPG, BMP, or GIF files. If you want to convert files to icon format, select the ICO option as well. Click OK to save the changed options.
That window also includes a couple of conversion options for images. You can set the quality for JPEG conversions by inputting a value in the JPEG quality box. Or enter a different number in the PNG compression box to adjust the compression amount, which by default is set to the highest value.
Convert Your Images to Alternative Formats via the Context Menu
The SageThumbs and File Converter software packages give you a more direct way to convert images to different formats. Both enable you to quickly and seamlessly convert images, and other file types, from Explorer’s context menu. Such options will be a very convenient addition to the Windows 11 context menu for users who frequently need to change image formats.