Convert to BMP Image

Why convert anything to BMP in the first place?

Most converters exist to make files smaller. This one usually makes them bigger, and that is fine, because people who need BMP need it for compatibility rather than size. The Windows bitmap format stores pixels in a straightforward, largely uncompressed layout that almost any program can read without a decoding library. That simplicity is why BMP remains the expected input for a surprising list of systems:

• Older Windows applications and utilities written before PNG became common.
• Embedded displays, LED panels and microcontroller projects where the firmware reads raw bitmap data.
• Label printers, card printers, embroidery and engraving machines that import bitmap artwork.
• Boot screens, splash images and custom logos for certain devices and BIOS tools.
• Classroom and lab software that only loads .bmp files.
• Programming exercises where students parse a BMP header by hand.

Convert to BMP Image accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, JIFF and BMP uploads and writes each as a .bmp file on our server. You can resize it to the exact pixel size a device expects and add a DPI value in the same step.

What to expect from a BMP file

It will be large

Without meaningful compression, size is roughly width times height times bytes per pixel. A 1920 by 1080 image in 24-bit colour is about 6 MB as BMP, whatever it looked like as a JPEG. That growth will show as an up arrow and a large percentage on the output card. It is normal.

Pixels are kept as they are

Writing BMP adds no compression artefacts. What you upload, after any resizing, is what ends up in the file. Any loss that already exists in a JPEG or WEBP source remains visible, of course.

Transparency is unreliable

Some BMP variants can include an alpha channel, but support for it across programs and devices is inconsistent, and many readers ignore it. If your source PNG or WEBP has a transparent background, plan for that area to appear as a solid colour on the target device, and place the artwork on the background you want before converting.

Animation is not supported

BMP holds a single image. Animated GIFs are not a suitable input; export the frame you need first.

The configuration panel for BMP output

In the Configuration card, Convert Format is already on BMP. Here is how the other controls apply:

Many devices need an exact resolution such as 128 by 64, 320 by 240 or 800 by 480. Enter both numbers with Pixel selected. Be aware that when both are given, the image is scaled to fit exactly that box, so a picture with different proportions will be stretched or squashed. Prepare artwork at the right aspect ratio first if distortion matters.

Producing a BMP

1. Choose Pixel under Resize Unit and type the Width and Height your target requires, or leave No Resize to keep the current size.
2. Enter a DPI if your printer or engraving software asks for one.
3. Drag the source images onto Select Images, or press Select File. Any image type can be selected.
4. Each file appears in the Upload Queue with its format badge, current weight and pixel size.
5. Press Process on a card or Process Queue for all.
6. Confirm the output dimensions on the green card match what the device needs.
7. Click Download and copy the BMP to the device, SD card or software import folder.

Logos already online can be added with From URL: paste one image address per line and press Process in that box. Rename those downloads afterwards, since they arrive without their original name.

Upload size versus output size

The server limit applies to what you upload: up to 10 MB per file. Because the source is usually a compressed JPG, PNG or WEBP, you can upload a fairly large picture, but remember the BMP you get back will be much bigger. If a device has limited storage, resize the image down to its real screen resolution rather than keeping camera dimensions.

Also avoid using Copy Base64 for BMP files in web pages. Base64 adds roughly a third to an already large file; for web use, PNG or WEBP is the better choice.

Advice for device and print workflows

• Check the device manual for the required width, height and colour depth before converting.
• Design artwork at the target aspect ratio to avoid stretching when you enter both dimensions.
• Flatten transparent logos onto the colour your device background uses.
• Keep your source PNG or design file; BMP is the delivery format, not the master.

Do not

• Use BMP for websites, email or social media; the files are needlessly heavy and not always displayed.
• Expect the Quality slider to shrink a BMP.
• Rely on transparency surviving in a BMP.
• Enter decimal sizes; Width, Height and DPI accept whole numbers only.

Limitations

• Inputs: JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, JIFF and BMP, up to 10 MB each.
• No option to choose a specific colour depth or monochrome BMP; the server library decides the bitmap variant.
• A queue run uses one configuration for every file, and a failure on any file makes the batch return an error.
• Metadata is stripped and orientation is applied automatically.
• No crop, rotate, flip or zoom tools on this page.

Server processing

The conversion runs on our server through a server-side image library, not in your browser. The BMP is returned within the response as Base64 for your browser to save, and the server deletes its temporary copy once the response is created.

For the opposite job, shrinking bitmaps, see BMP to JPEG or BMP to WEBP.

Frequently Asked Questions