Free online converter for converting files to BMP.
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| Data type | Image |
| MIME type | image/bmp |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Primary use cases | Raw/uncompressed image exchange, screenshots, simple graphics workflows, legacy Windows compatibility |
BMP is a classic Windows bitmap image format that usually stores pixels uncompressed, resulting in large files but simple, fast decoding.
| Data type | Image |
| MIME type | image/bmp |
| Compression | Usually none; optional lossless RLE compression; optional bitfield masks |
| Color depth | 1–32 bits per pixel (common: 24-bit RGB, 32-bit BGRA); palette-based modes for ≤8 bpp |
| Color space | RGB (commonly sRGB) |
| Transparency support | Yes |
| Animation support | No |
| Metadata | BMP/DIB headers; optional masks and (in newer variants) embedded color profile; limited standardized metadata compared to JPEG |
| Standard / Specification | IANA image/bmp registration; RFC 7903; Microsoft [MS-WMF] / Bitmap Storage documentation |
| Typical file size | Often large: ~ (width × height × bytes_per_pixel) + headers (plus row padding). Example: 1920×1080 at 24-bit ≈ 6.2 MB. |
| Year introduced | 1987 |
The BMP file format offers several advantages that make it suitable for common use cases.
The BMP file format has certain limitations that may affect its use in specific scenarios.
BMP images are widely supported and can be viewed on most devices and platforms.
As a basic image type, BMP does not provide executable content; however malformed files can trigger decoder bugs. BMP may encapsulate JPEG/PNG payloads in some cases, so related parsing risks can apply.
Published specification referenced by Microsoft documentation; media type registered in RFC 7903