What is a BMP file?
BMP (bitmap) is Microsoft's original Windows image format. It stores pixels with little or no compression, so it's simple and lossless but very large - a 12-megapixel photo can top 35 MB.
BMP is mainly found in older Windows software, some industrial and embedded systems, and scanner output. For almost every other use, PNG gives the same quality at a fraction of the size.
How to open a BMP file
Windows Photos and Paint open BMP files, as does Mac Preview. Most browsers can display them too. Convert to PNG for a lossless copy that's much smaller, or JPG for photos.
- Extensions
- .bmp, .dib
- Compression
- None (usually)
- Transparency
- Rarely supported
- Best for
- Legacy Windows software