IrfanView Installation Guide (Windows)

This blog provides detailed, step-by-step instructions to download and install IrfanView on a Windows system. It is intended for users with basic computer knowledge and for engineers working with standard and RAW image formats, including Y12 monochrome images. 

What is IrfanView? 

IrfanView is a lightweight, high-performance image viewing and basic image processing application for Windows. It supports a wide range of image formats, from common formats such as BMP, JPEG, and PNG to RAW image formats used in industrial and scientific imaging. IrfanView is widely used in machine vision and camera evaluation workflows because it allows users to manually control how image data is interpreted, including resolution, bit depth, grayscale handling, and normalization. 

Why IrfanView is Used 

IrfanView is preferred by engineers and developers because it provides direct access to raw image data without automatic image enhancement. Unlike standard photo viewers, IrfanView does not apply hidden color correction, contrast stretching, or compression. This makes it ideal for: 

• Inspecting raw sensor output 

• Verifying image resolution and orientation 

• Debugging camera data formats 

• Viewing high bit-depth monochrome images such as Y10 and Y12 

• Validating image capture pipelines in industrial and machine vision systems 

IrfanView and Y12 RAW / Y12 Streaming Images 

IrfanView is commonly used to view Y12 RAW monochrome images because it allows users to manually specify: 

• Image width and height 

• Bits per pixel (12 BPP) 

• Normalized or non-normalized data 

• Grayscale rendering 

• Image orientation (vertical flip) 

When working with Y12 images, selecting 12 BPP and Not Normalized ensures that pixel values remain in the original 0–4095 range, preserving true sensor data. This is critical for accurate analysis, camera validation, and debugging of industrial image streams. 

1. System Requirements 

Before installing IrfanView, ensure the following system requirements are met: 

• Operating System: Windows 10 or Windows 11 

• Architecture: 32-bit or 64-bit 

2. Downloading IrfanView 

1. Open a web browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox. 

2. Search for IrfanView or directly enter the URL: https://www.irfanview.com 

3. On the homepage, click the Download option. 

4. Choose the appropriate version: 

5. 64-bit version (recommended for most modern systems) 

6. 32-bit version (for legacy systems) 

7. Click the download link and save the installer file (.exe) to your system. 

3. Installing IrfanView Plugins (Recommended) 

Plugins extend IrfanView’s functionality by adding support for additional image and media formats, including enhanced RAW support. 

Steps: 

1. Go to the IrfanView website → Downloads section. 

2. Download the Plugins package matching your IrfanView version (32-bit or 64-bit). 

3. Run the plugins installer. 

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete plugin installation. 

4. Running the Installer 

1. Navigate to the folder where the IrfanView installer was downloaded (usually the Downloads folder). 

2. Double-click the setup file (for example, iviewxxx_setup.exe). 

3. If a User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears, click Yes to allow installation. 

5. License Agreement 

1. The IrfanView license agreement window will appear. 

2. Carefully review the license terms. 

3. Click I Agree to proceed with the installation. 

6. Installation Options 

1. Select installation options based on your requirements. 

2. Recommended selections: 

3. Install for all users 

4. Create Desktop Icon 

5. Create Start Menu shortcuts 

6. Associate common image file formats (JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF) 

7. Click Next to continue. 

7. Installation Directory 

1. Choose the destination folder for installation. 

2. The default location is recommended: C:\Program Files\IrfanView 

3. Click Next. 

8. Completing Installation 

1. Click the Install button to begin installation. 

2. Wait for the installation process to complete. 

3. Click Done once installation is finished. 

9. Launching IrfanView 

You can launch IrfanView using either method: 

1. Double-click the IrfanView desktop icon, or 

2. Open Start Menu → IrfanView. 

10. Verification 

To verify a successful installation: 

1. Open IrfanView. 

2. Click File → Open. 

3. Select any image file (JPEG, PNG, or RAW). 

4. If the image opens correctly, the installation is successful. 

Conclusion

IrfanView is a reliable and lightweight image viewer widely used in industrial and machine vision environments. Its ability to handle RAW and high bit-depth monochrome images such as Y12 makes it an essential tool for camera evaluation, image validation, and debugging. A proper installation, along with plugins, ensures full format support and accurate visualization of sensor data.