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How-To Guide

How to Convert PNG to BMP

BMP (Bitmap) is an uncompressed raster format — it stores raw pixel data without any compression. Most use cases don't require BMP (it's much larger than PNG for equivalent quality), but some legacy software, hardware, and Windows APIs specifically require BMP. Converting PNG to BMP is straightforward with built-in Windows tools or command-line utilities.

Open PNG to BMP Converter

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Convert with Microsoft Paint (Windows)

    Open the PNG in Paint. Go to File → Save As → BMP picture. Choose 24-bit Bitmap for standard colour images. Click Save. Paint is the simplest approach on Windows — no extra software needed. The resulting BMP will be 3–10× larger than the PNG source.

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  2. 2

    Convert with GIMP (all platforms)

    Open the PNG in GIMP (free, gimp.org). Go to File → Export As. Change the filename extension to .bmp. Click Export. In the BMP export dialog, choose color depth (24-bit for standard images, 32-bit if transparency is needed). GIMP gives more control over BMP options than Paint.

  3. 3

    Convert via command line

    FFmpeg: `ffmpeg -i input.png output.bmp`. ImageMagick: `convert input.png output.bmp` or with specific depth: `convert input.png -depth 24 output.bmp`. Batch with FFmpeg: `for f in *.png; do ffmpeg -i "$f" "${f%.png}.bmp"; done`. These tools work on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

  4. 4

    Verify and use the BMP

    The BMP file should be significantly larger than the PNG source (PNG uses lossless compression; BMP is usually uncompressed). Open the BMP in the target application to verify it's accepted. If the app shows an error, try different BMP colour depths (24-bit, 16-bit, 8-bit) — some legacy apps require specific depths.

Why convert PNG to BMP?

BMP is a legacy format needed by specific Windows applications, hardware, and API contexts. When BMP is required, converting from PNG gives you a pixel-perfect uncompressed image that any Windows-compatible system can read.

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Frequently asked questions

Why would I convert PNG to BMP?
BMP is required by specific legacy Windows applications, hardware (some older displays and printers use BMP), Windows wallpaper in certain contexts, and some older game modding tools. For modern use, PNG or JPG are always better than BMP — smaller, more compatible, and better-supported.
What bit depth should I use for the BMP?
24-bit BMP (True Color) for standard photos and graphics — supports 16.7 million colours. 32-bit BMP for images that need an alpha channel (transparency) — note that most apps that require BMP don't support 32-bit BMP transparency. 8-bit BMP for legacy apps with limited colour palettes (256 colours). 24-bit is the safe default.
Does PNG to BMP lose quality?
No — both PNG and BMP are lossless formats. Converting PNG to BMP preserves every pixel exactly. The only change is file size (BMP is larger due to no compression) and potentially colour depth (if you choose fewer bits than the PNG source).
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