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PNG to BMP converter, 24-bit or 32-bit

Save a PNG, JPG or any picture as a free BMP for software that only reads that format. 24-bit colour, or 32-bit when the picture has transparency, with the dpi written in. Nothing is uploaded.

Converted on this computer · nothing uploaded · no signup · no watermark

Faster with the free Chrome extension: right-click any picture on a website and send it straight to the image format converter. Add to Chrome · what it does

Why anyone still needs a BMP

BMP is one of the oldest picture formats, and it is the simplest: the pixels are stored almost as they are, with no compression. That is why some laser and engraving software, older embroidery and cross-stitch programs, label printers and embedded screens still ask for it. If a program says "BMP only", this is the page.

What goes wrong with BMP

  • Big files. Nothing is compressed, so a BMP takes about three bytes for every pixel (four with transparency). A 1000 by 1000 picture is about 3 MB. The size is shown before you download.
  • Transparency. A plain 24-bit BMP has none. A picture with clear areas is saved as 32-bit with a real alpha channel, which not every program reads; some show black where it should be clear. For those, choose Fill, and the clear areas take a colour you pick in a 24-bit file.
  • Colour only. A BMP made here is full colour. If your software wants black and white or a set number of greys, prepare the picture first.
  • A resolution that is ignored. The dpi is stored as pixels per metre, which programs read differently. Many laser programs ask for the size on their own screen anyway, so check it after you import.

The settings, for this conversion

  • Resolution. The dpi written into the BMP header, 96 for a screen picture or more for print.
  • Transparent areas. Shown only when the picture has some: keep them (32-bit) or fill them with a colour (24-bit).

How to do it

  1. Drop the picture, or choose it.
  2. BMP is selected on this page. Set the dpi, and choose Keep or Fill if the picture is transparent.
  3. Check the size, then download.

Open the picture here, choose how to save it, and download. Everything happens in this page: the picture is read and rewritten by your browser, with no upload and no account. You can confirm that on the Network tab of your browser's developer tools.

One picture, or a whole folder

Converting one picture at a time is free, with no watermark and no limit. If you load several, you can pick any of them to preview and save on its own. Pro converts every loaded picture in one go and saves them as one ZIP (up to 30 at a time) with a short report of what was made.

Other conversions

The same tool opens with a different pair on each page, and any picture works on any page.

Questions

Is it 24-bit or 32-bit?

24-bit for a solid picture. If the picture has transparent areas, it is 32-bit with an alpha channel so the transparency stays, unless you choose Fill, which gives a 24-bit file. The result line says which one you got.

Why is the BMP so large?

A BMP stores each pixel without compression. For a picture of a given size the file is always about the same size, whatever is in it. Use PNG or JPG when you can.

Why does my engraving software show black where the picture is clear?

Some programs ignore the alpha channel of a 32-bit BMP. Use the Fill choice so the clear areas become a colour, usually white, in a plain 24-bit file.

Can it make a black and white BMP?

No. This writes full-colour BMPs. For engraving, prepare a dithered picture with Photo to laser engraving and then convert that.

Can I convert many pictures at once?

You can load up to 30 pictures and look at each one, but saving them one by one is free and saving them all at once is part of Pro: one ZIP with every converted file and a short report. Your first batch on a device is free to try.

Is my picture uploaded?

No. The picture is opened and rewritten by your browser, in this page, and the page has no code that sends a file anywhere. The site counts that a tool was used and that a file of a certain type was saved, never the picture or its name.