Convert BMP to JPG
BMP (bitmap) files are uncompressed and can be 10–50× larger than the same image as JPG. Converting to JPG makes them shareable by email, attachable to forms, and quick to load on the web.
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To convert BMP to JPG, drop your bitmap above and choose a quality. Bitmaps store every pixel uncompressed, so a 25 megapixel BMP can be 75 MB on disk; the JPG equivalent at quality 90 is usually 2–5 MB with no visible difference. The tool decodes the BMP in-browser and re-encodes it with standard JPEG compression, then hands you a file you can email, attach or upload anywhere.
Drop a BMP here, or click to upload
Output: JPG
What BMP to JPG conversion actually does
BMP (Windows Bitmap) is uncompressed by design — it was made in 1986 for Microsoft Paint, and its file layout stores raw RGB values with a small header. That makes it fast to open on old Windows machines but wildly wasteful on modern storage. Common sources today are: scanners saving at 300 DPI, industrial cameras, medical imaging workflows and older CAD tools. JPG is the standard compressed photo format (ISO/IEC 10918) and every OS, browser, printer and mobile viewer opens it without setup. Converting also strips the BMP's 54-byte header and any padding bytes that inflate the source further.
Common mistakes and limitations when going from BMP to JPG
JPG is lossy, so once you save you cannot recover the original pixel values. Keep the BMP master if the image is scientific, evidentiary or destined for further processing. JPG also has no transparency; BMP variants with alpha (rare) will be flattened onto white. Scanned line-art and diagrams sometimes compress poorly in JPG — for pure black-on-white document scans, PNG or PDF is a better target.
BMP to JPG conversion FAQ
- Why is BMP so large?
- BMP stores every pixel as raw RGB with no compression. A 25-megapixel image occupies 75 MB as BMP but only 2–5 MB as a quality-90 JPG.
- Will I notice quality loss?
- At quality 90 the JPG is visually indistinguishable from the BMP for photos, scans and screenshots.
- Does the BMP get deleted?
- No. Conversion runs entirely in your browser and produces a new JPG blob; your BMP file stays where it is.
- Can I convert 32-bit BMPs with alpha?
- Yes. The rare BMPv5 alpha channel is flattened onto white since JPG doesn't support transparency.
- Should I use PNG instead for scans?
- For pure black-and-white line art or documents, PNG is often the better choice — JPG can introduce compression halos around sharp text.
- What quality should I pick for scanned photos?
- 92 for archival, 85–88 for sharing. Both look identical on screen; 92 protects against generational loss if you re-save.
- Does resolution stay the same?
- Yes. Pixel dimensions are preserved exactly; only the on-disk encoding changes.
- Is BMP the same as TIFF?
- No. Both are common lossless formats, but TIFF supports layers, LZW compression and richer metadata; BMP is a simple flat bitmap.
BMP vs JPG at a glance
| Property | BMP source | JPG output |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None | Lossy DCT |
| Typical size (12 MP image) | 35–75 MB | 1–3 MB |
| Transparency | Rare (BMPv5) | None |
| Best used for | Legacy Windows tools | Sharing, email, uploads |
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References: Microsoft BMP File Format specification, ISO/IEC 10918 (JPEG), Wikipedia comparison of raster image formats.