diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 55a4eb0e31b..86a01d53594 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -195,3 +195,4 @@ libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/build-*/
 
 
 examples/utils/urlFileLoaderExample/bin/data
+tests/graphics/imageFormats/bin/data/*
diff --git a/scripts/of.sh b/scripts/of.sh
index 55af5037781..de52088c6db 100755
--- a/scripts/of.sh
+++ b/scripts/of.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # of.sh - openFrameworks CLI  |  Dan Rosser 2025
-OF_SCRIPT_VERSION=0.4.3
+OF_SCRIPT_VERSION=0.4.4
 
 OF_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 OF_DIR="$(realpath "$OF_DIR/../")"
@@ -1051,14 +1051,25 @@ menuTest(){
 	printBanner "test"
 
 	local -a opts=("All tests/ smoke tests (build + run)|tests-all")
-	local g gName
+	local -a testOpts=()
+	local -a groupOpts=()
+	local g gName test testName
 	if [[ -d "${OF_DIR}/tests" ]]; then
 		for g in "${OF_DIR}/tests"/*/; do
 			[[ -d "$g" ]] || continue
 			gName=$(basename "${g%/}")
-			opts+=("tests/${gName} only|tests-${gName}")
+			groupOpts+=("All tests/${gName}|tests-${gName}")
+			for test in "$g"*/; do
+				[[ -d "${test}src" ]] || continue
+				testName=$(basename "${test%/}")
+				testOpts+=("${gName}/${testName}|test:${gName}/${testName}")
+			done
 		done
 	fi
+	# Keep every directly runnable project together at the top of the menu;
+	# broader group runs follow them.
+	opts+=("${testOpts[@]}")
+	opts+=("${groupOpts[@]}")
 	local -a smokeScripts=()
 	local s
 	for s in "${OF_CORE_SCRIPT_DIR}/dev"/smoke_test_*.sh; do
@@ -1074,6 +1085,7 @@ menuTest(){
 	case "$choice" in
 		tests-all) cmdTest ;;
 		tests-*)   cmdTest "${choice#tests-}" ;;
+		test:*)    cmdTest "${choice#test:}" ;;
 		script:*)
 			local scriptName="${choice#script:}"
 			local scriptPath="${OF_CORE_SCRIPT_DIR}/dev/${scriptName}"
@@ -1560,9 +1572,52 @@ menuPickApoVsVer(){
 	return 0
 }
 
+menuPickApoArch(){
+	local type="$1" a
+	local -a choices=() arches=()
+	if [[ "$type" == "vs" ]]; then
+		choices=(
+			"All (x64 + ARM64 + ARM64EC)|all"
+			"x64 (64)|64"
+			"ARM64|arm64"
+			"ARM64EC|arm64ec"
+			"ARM64 + ARM64EC|arm64+arm64ec"
+		)
+	else
+		read -r -a arches <<< "$(archesForApoType "$type")"
+		for a in "${arches[@]}"; do choices+=("${a}|${a}"); done
+	fi
+	menuPick "Target architecture · ${type}" "${choices[@]}"
+}
+
+# Keep the native platform first in Apothecary's platform menus.  In
+# particular, Windows users should see Visual Studio before Apple targets.
+apoBuildTypesOrdered(){
+	local type
+	if [[ "$OF_PLATFORM" == "vs" ]]; then
+		printf '%s\n' vs
+	fi
+	for type in "${APO_BUILD_TYPES[@]}"; do
+		[[ "$OF_PLATFORM" == "vs" && "$type" == "vs" ]] && continue
+		printf '%s\n' "$type"
+	done
+}
+
 runApothecaryEngine(){
 	local type="$1" arch="$2"
 	shift 2
+	# Apothecary accepts one VS architecture per invocation.  Let the oF menu
+	# expose useful groups while keeping the underlying calls conventional.
+	if [[ "$type" == "vs" && ( "$arch" == "all" || "$arch" == *","* || "$arch" == *"+"* ) ]]; then
+		local expanded="$arch" vsArch
+		[[ "$expanded" == "all" ]] && expanded="64,arm64,arm64ec"
+		expanded="${expanded//+/,}"
+		for vsArch in ${expanded//,/ }; do
+			echoInfo "Visual Studio libraries · ${vsArch}"
+			runApothecaryEngine "$type" "$vsArch" "$@" || return $?
+		done
+		return 0
+	fi
 	local -a cmd=()
 	resolveApothecary
 	[[ -f "$APO_ENGINE" ]] || { echoError "apothecary engine missing — git submodule update --init scripts/apothecary"; return 1; }
@@ -1658,7 +1713,7 @@ menuApothecary(){
 			;;
 		build-type)
 			opts=()
-			for type in "${APO_BUILD_TYPES[@]}"; do
+			while IFS= read -r type; do
 				if [[ "$type" == "macos" ]]; then
 					opts+=("macos  — Apple multi-target xcframeworks|macos")
 				elif [[ "$type" == "osx" ]]; then
@@ -1666,7 +1721,7 @@ menuApothecary(){
 				else
 					opts+=("${type}|${type}")
 				fi
-			done
+			done < <(apoBuildTypesOrdered)
 			[[ "$OF_PLATFORM" == "osx" ]] && echoNote "macos covers osx · ios · tvos · xros · watchos · catos"
 			menuPick "Build platform" "${opts[@]}" || return 2
 			type="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
@@ -1674,29 +1729,21 @@ menuApothecary(){
 				menuPickApoVsVer || return 2
 				export OF_APO_VS_VER="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 			fi
-			aopts=()
-			read -r -a arches <<< "$(archesForApoType "$type")"
-			for a in "${arches[@]}"; do
-				aopts+=("${a}|${a}")
-			done
-			menuPick "Architecture · ${type}" "${aopts[@]}" || return 2
+			menuPickApoArch "$type" || return 2
 			cmdApothecaryBuildAll "$type" "$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 			;;
 		build-one)
 			opts=()
-			for type in "${APO_BUILD_TYPES[@]}"; do
+			while IFS= read -r type; do
 				opts+=("${type}|${type}")
-			done
+			done < <(apoBuildTypesOrdered)
 			menuPick "Platform" "${opts[@]}" || return 2
 			type="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 			if [[ "$type" == "vs" ]]; then
 				menuPickApoVsVer || return 2
 				export OF_APO_VS_VER="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 			fi
-			aopts=()
-			read -r -a arches <<< "$(archesForApoType "$type")"
-			for a in "${arches[@]}"; do aopts+=("${a}|${a}"); done
-			menuPick "Architecture · ${type}" "${aopts[@]}" || return 2
+			menuPickApoArch "$type" || return 2
 			arch="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 			opts=()
 			local f
@@ -2542,6 +2589,13 @@ cmdBuild(){
 					;;
 			esac
 			;;
+		tests|test)
+			if [[ "$OF_PLATFORM" == "vs" ]]; then
+				runHostTests "${1:-Debug}" "${2:-${OF_VS_PLATFORM:-$(vsPlatformFromArch)}}" "${3:-${OF_VS_TOOLSET:-$(vsToolsetDefault)}}"
+			else
+				runHostTests "$@"
+			fi
+			;;
 		clean)
 			local path="${1:-}"
 			[[ -n "$path" ]] || { echoError "usage: of build clean <path>"; return 1; }
diff --git a/scripts/of_build.sh b/scripts/of_build.sh
index f698ef83880..c6921487296 100644
--- a/scripts/of_build.sh
+++ b/scripts/of_build.sh
@@ -484,6 +484,75 @@ runMsbuildProject(){
 		-nologo -m
 }
 
+# Regenerate every unit-test project for Visual Studio, then compile it with
+# the same platform/toolset selection used by normal project builds.  Tests
+# are compile-only here: ARM64/ARM64EC binaries may be cross-built on x64.
+runVsTests(){
+	local config="${1:-Debug}"
+	local platform="${2:-${OF_VS_PLATFORM:-$(vsPlatformFromArch)}}"
+	local toolset="${3:-${OF_VS_TOOLSET:-$(vsToolsetDefault)}}"
+	local pgTemplate="${4:-${OF_PG_TEMPLATE:-vs2026}}"
+	local pg msbuild project count=0 failed=0
+
+	pg=$(findPGBinary) || { echoError "Project Generator missing — run: of update pg"; return 1; }
+	msbuild=$(findMsbuildBinary) || { echoError "msbuild.exe not found"; return 1; }
+	printBanner "tests"
+	echoKV "target" "${platform} · ${config} · ${toolset}"
+	echoInfo "regenerating Visual Studio projects under tests/"
+	local -a pgArgs=( -r -o"$OF_DIR" -pvs )
+	[[ -n "$pgTemplate" ]] && pgArgs+=( -t"$pgTemplate" )
+	PG_OF_PATH="$OF_DIR" "$pg" "${pgArgs[@]}" "${OF_DIR}/tests" || return $?
+
+	while IFS= read -r project; do
+		count=$((count + 1))
+		echoInfo "test ${count} · ${project#${OF_DIR}/}"
+		"$msbuild" "$project" -nologo -m \
+			"-p:Configuration=${config}" \
+			"-p:Platform=${platform}" \
+			"-p:PlatformToolset=${toolset}" || failed=$((failed + 1))
+	done < <(find "${OF_DIR}/tests" -mindepth 2 -name '*.vcxproj' -type f | sort)
+	[[ $count -gt 0 ]] || { echoError "no generated test projects found"; return 1; }
+	[[ $failed -eq 0 ]] || { echoError "${failed}/${count} test projects failed to compile"; return 1; }
+	echoSuccess "${count} test projects compiled · ${platform}/${config}"
+}
+
+menuVsTests(){
+	local config toolset platform template
+	menuPickConfig || return 0; config="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
+	menuPickVsToolset || return 0; toolset="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
+	menuPickVsPlatform || return 0; platform="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
+	menuPickPgTemplate || return 0; template="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
+	runVsTests "$config" "$platform" "$toolset" "$template"
+}
+
+runHostTests(){
+	case "$OF_PLATFORM" in
+		vs)
+			runVsTests "$@"
+			;;
+		osx|macos)
+			local runner="${OF_DIR}/scripts/ci/${OF_PLATFORM}/run_tests.sh"
+			[[ -f "$runner" ]] || runner="${OF_DIR}/scripts/ci/osx/run_tests.sh"
+			echoInfo "macOS tests · make Debug + RunDebug"
+			bash "$runner"
+			;;
+		*)
+			echoError "tests() is currently available for macOS and Visual Studio"
+			return 1
+			;;
+	esac
+}
+
+menuHostTests(){
+	case "$OF_PLATFORM" in
+		vs) menuVsTests ;;
+		osx|macos)
+			confirmYes "Build and run the macOS unit tests?" || return 0
+			runHostTests
+			;;
+	esac
+}
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Project file helpers
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -923,18 +992,25 @@ runTestProject(){
 # reusable from the CLI/menu. Prints a tick per test, full output only on
 # failure, and a pass/fail summary at the end.
 cmdTest(){
-	local filterGroup="${1:-}"
+	local filter="${1:-}"
+	local filterGroup="${filter%%/*}"
+	local filterTest=""
+	[[ "$filter" == */* ]] && filterTest="${filter#*/}"
 	local testsDir="${OF_DIR}/tests"
 	[[ -d "$testsDir" ]] || { echoError "no tests/ directory found"; return 1; }
 
 	printBanner "test"
-	echoInfo "running smoke tests under tests/${filterGroup:+$filterGroup/}"
+	echoInfo "running smoke tests under tests/${filter:+$filter/}"
 	printf '\n'
 
 	local -a groups=()
 	local g
 	if [[ -n "$filterGroup" ]]; then
 		[[ -d "${testsDir}/${filterGroup}" ]] || { echoError "no tests/${filterGroup} folder"; return 1; }
+		if [[ -n "$filterTest" && ! -d "${testsDir}/${filterGroup}/${filterTest}/src" ]]; then
+			echoError "no tests/${filterGroup}/${filterTest} project"
+			return 1
+		fi
 		groups=("${testsDir}/${filterGroup}")
 	else
 		for g in "${testsDir}"/*/; do
@@ -953,6 +1029,7 @@ cmdTest(){
 			[[ -d "$test" && -d "${test}src" ]] || continue
 			test="${test%/}"
 			name=$(basename "$test")
+			[[ -n "$filterTest" && "$name" != "$filterTest" ]] && continue
 			total=$((total + 1))
 			# \r-overwrite the pending marker only when actually attached to a
 			# terminal -- otherwise (piped/logged output) it just garbles two
@@ -1230,7 +1307,7 @@ menuBuild(){
 		echoKV "cmake" "$(command -v cmake >/dev/null 2>&1 && cmake --version 2>/dev/null | head -1 || echo 'not installed')"
 		printf '\n'
 
-		menuPick "Build…" \
+		local -a buildOpts=(
 			"OF core library (make)|core" \
 			"Project under apps/…|apps" \
 			"Example under examples/…|examples" \
@@ -1240,15 +1317,26 @@ menuBuild(){
 			"Generate project files (PG)…|generate" \
 			"CMake…|cmake" \
 			"Clean project…|clean" \
-			"Apothecary — build libraries…|apothecary" \
+			"Apothecary — build libraries…|apothecary"
+		)
+		case "$OF_PLATFORM" in
+			vs) buildOpts+=("Tests — PG + MSBuild…|tests") ;;
+			osx|macos) buildOpts+=("Tests — make + run…|tests") ;;
+		esac
+		buildOpts+=( \
 			"Upgrade — Projects / Addons…|upgrade" \
 			"Help|help" \
-			"Back|back" \
-			|| return 0
+			"Back|back"
+		)
+		menuPick "Build…" "${buildOpts[@]}" || return 0
 		choice="$UI_MENU_RESULT"
 		printf '\n'
 
 		case "$choice" in
+			tests)
+				menuHostTests
+				menuPause
+				;;
 			core)
 				menuPickConfig || continue
 				cmdBuildCore "$UI_MENU_RESULT"
@@ -1410,6 +1498,9 @@ printHelpBuild(){
     ${prog} build generate <path> [platforms]
     ${prog} build cmake <path> [Debug|Release]
     ${prog} build cmake status
+    ${prog} build tests                    macOS: make + run all unit tests
+    ${prog} build tests [cfg] [platform] [toolset]
+                                           Windows: PG + MSBuild (compile)
     ${prog} build clean <path>
     ${prog} build open-em <path>          Open emscripten index.html (Chrome/emrun)
 
diff --git a/tests/graphics/imageFormats/addons.make b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/addons.make
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0e0303d2e09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/addons.make
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ofxUnitTests
diff --git a/tests/graphics/imageFormats/bin/data/.gitkeep b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/bin/data/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/tests/graphics/imageFormats/icon.rc b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/icon.rc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7e26eb3534f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/icon.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Icon Resource Definition
+#define MAIN_ICON                       102
+
+#if defined(_DEBUG)
+MAIN_ICON               ICON                    "icon_debug.ico"
+#else
+MAIN_ICON               ICON                    "icon.ico"
+#endif
diff --git a/tests/graphics/imageFormats/src/main.cpp b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/src/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..65b707f6aad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/graphics/imageFormats/src/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#include "ofMain.h"
+#include "ofAppNoWindow.h"
+#include "ofxUnitTests.h"
+
+// Round-trips a synthetic test pattern through FreeImage (via ofImage) for a
+// handful of formats and checks the reloaded pixels actually match the
+// pattern, not just that width/height came back right.
+class ofApp: public ofxUnitTestsApp{
+
+	static const int kBlockSize = 8;
+	static const int kNumColors = 8;
+
+	// small, fixed palette so the pattern survives GIF's 256-color quantize
+	ofColor paletteColor(int i){
+		static const ofColor palette[kNumColors] = {
+			ofColor(230, 60, 60), ofColor(60, 230, 60), ofColor(60, 60, 230), ofColor(230, 230, 60),
+			ofColor(230, 60, 230), ofColor(60, 230, 230), ofColor(250, 250, 250), ofColor(20, 20, 20)
+		};
+		return palette[i % kNumColors];
+	}
+
+	ofColor patternColor(int x, int y){
+		int block = (x / kBlockSize) + (y / kBlockSize);
+		return paletteColor(block);
+	}
+
+	ofImage makeTestImage(int w, int h){
+		ofImage img;
+		img.setUseTexture(false);
+		img.allocate(w, h, OF_IMAGE_COLOR);
+		for(int y = 0; y < h; y++){
+			for(int x = 0; x < w; x++){
+				img.setColor(x, y, patternColor(x, y));
+			}
+		}
+		return img;
+	}
+
+	bool colorsClose(const ofColor & a, const ofColor & b, int tolerance){
+		return abs((int)a.r - (int)b.r) <= tolerance
+			&& abs((int)a.g - (int)b.g) <= tolerance
+			&& abs((int)a.b - (int)b.b) <= tolerance;
+	}
+
+	void testFormat(const string & ext, int tolerance){
+		const int w = 64, h = 48;
+		ofImage img = makeTestImage(w, h);
+
+		string path = "test_pattern." + ext;
+		if(!ofxTest(img.save(path), "save " + ext)){
+			return;
+		}
+
+		ofImage loaded;
+		loaded.setUseTexture(false);
+		if(!ofxTest(loaded.load(path), "load " + ext)){
+			return;
+		}
+
+		ofxTestEq((int)loaded.getWidth(), w, "width " + ext);
+		ofxTestEq((int)loaded.getHeight(), h, "height " + ext);
+
+		// sample block centers (avoids compression artifacts at block edges)
+		bool pixelsOk = true;
+		for(int by = kBlockSize / 2; by < h; by += kBlockSize){
+			for(int bx = kBlockSize / 2; bx < w; bx += kBlockSize){
+				ofColor expected = patternColor(bx, by);
+				ofColor actual = loaded.getColor(bx, by);
+				if(!colorsClose(expected, actual, tolerance)){
+					pixelsOk = false;
+					ofLogError() << ext << " pixel(" << bx << "," << by << ") expected "
+						<< (int)expected.r << "," << (int)expected.g << "," << (int)expected.b
+						<< " got " << (int)actual.r << "," << (int)actual.g << "," << (int)actual.b;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		ofxTest(pixelsOk, "pixel content matches pattern " + ext);
+	}
+
+	void run(){
+		testFormat("png", 0);   // lossless
+		testFormat("bmp", 0);   // lossless
+		testFormat("tif", 0);   // lossless
+		testFormat("tga", 0);   // lossless
+		testFormat("gif", 8);   // 256-color quantize, small slack
+		testFormat("jpg", 24);  // lossy DCT, sampled at block centers
+	}
+};
+
+//========================================================================
+int main( ){
+	ofInit();
+	auto window = std::make_shared<ofAppNoWindow>();
+	auto app = std::make_shared<ofApp>();
+	ofRunApp(window, app);
+	return ofRunMainLoop();
+}