SuperPaint conversions

[bryantcafe]

Hi everyone,

I have hundreds of SuperPaint files created in the late 1990s and early 2000s that were just recovered off an old MacMini. I also have SuperPaint diskettes. The Mac mini is damaged and may not be repairable.

That being said, I am trying to find a way to get them into a current program, like Photoshop. My last resort is to locate an older Mini with MacOS 10.4, a compatible diskette drive, and install SuperPaint. Then I would open up and save every file as a PICT file. I think Photoshop can still open those up.

If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear. And if I get a solution, I will post it because there have to be many more SuperPaint enthusiasts who sadly miss their no longer compatible files.

In fact, since SuperPaint was the next generation after the famous MacPaint, I think this story is historically significant. I even wonder if the Computer History Museum in Mountain View collects experts who know about these older, historically important software programs. I had a friend who bought a Macintosh around 1986 or whenever they first came out. She showed me MacPaint. I was stunned. I was mesmerized. I ended up leaving a job to go to a company that only worked on Macintosh's (1988 I think) because I was so in love with the graphic capabilities.

So. Have you tried to convert SuperPaint files? I would love to hear. Thanks!

[kglad]

[moved from Creative Suites to Photoshop General Discussion]

[Peru Bob · Accepted solution]

If you can access the files, se if this works:

Converting Superpaint Files - Software Stuff - MacCast Forum

[Jeff Arola]

Are the files in the SuperPaint file format or Pict or....?

Unfortunately, the PICT files saved from SuperPaint will only open in photoshop cs4 and older on the mac side.

The SuperPaint file format is a form of Pict files and can also be opened in photoshop cs4 and older.

Photoshop cs5 and newer only have minimal support for PICT files as do newer mac os's Preview Application.

They don't support vector data and such anymore in PICT files.

Newer versions of Lemke GraphicConverter won't open the SuperPaint file format.

What operating system do you have access to now?

My suggestion would be to see if you can fix your mac mini, get another mac g4 or use an emulator like SheepShaver.

Then In SuperPaint you can use File>Export>Entire document to TIFF and open that in photoshop cc or most any other image editing application.

[bryantcafe]

It's now 2022 and I am digging into this project again after a hiatis of 5 years. Sigh. I had a wonderful friend set up an older Mac with Superpaint and I was converting the files to Tif and pict and then opening them up in Photoshop. I think I will have to go back to that effort again. if anyone sees this, thanks for your thoughts. - Mary

[Lumigraphics]

If you can't find a converter then this would be the only answer. An OS9 Mac should be pretty cheap nowadays.

I'd check to see if ImageMagick works, as well as LibreOffice.

https://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1271175

[maria316674192cld]

I don't have an option to export to tiff.  It is grayed out on the dropdown.

Any other ideas?  I have mac classic running on an old imac so I can open in superpaint but i need to get these into a modertn program.

Thanks

[Jeff Arola]

Hi maria316,

In the above screenshots i'm using Aldus SuperPaint 3.5

What version of SuperPaint do you have?

Apple>About SuperPaint

Can you post a screenshot of the SuperPaint interface along with what your see after clicking File>Export?