Images conversion
Convert DICOM to BMP
DICOM is the standard format medical scanners use for MRI, CT, and X-ray images, and BMP is a plain, uncompressed image format that any Windows computer can open without special software. To convert, open the scan in a converter and export it as BMP. Doing this on your own computer keeps patient details from ever reaching someone else's server.
All 2,748 conversions verified on macOS, Windows, and Linux against the shipping release, this one included. Every conversion runs entirely on your own computer.
- Extension
- .dcm
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Medical scans (MRI, CT, X-ray)
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .bmp
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Legacy Windows images
- Transparency
- None
Convert DICOM to BMP on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.
How to convert DICOM to BMP
- Open Morphjet and drag in the DICOM file, or a whole folder of scans, straight from your export or study folder.
- Choose BMP as the output format.
- Convert. The BMP images are written to your own drive, and nothing leaves your machine.
DICOM vs BMP: what actually changes
| DICOM | BMP | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Varies widely, one file can hold an entire scan series | Larger per image, since pixel data isn't compressed |
| Quality | Lossless, full diagnostic detail | Lossless, but a flat 2D snapshot |
| Opens in general apps | No, needs specialized medical imaging software | Yes, opens in nearly any image viewer, especially on Windows |
| Multiple images per file | Yes, a study can contain dozens or hundreds of slices | No, one image per file |
| Patient and scan metadata | Yes, name, ID, birth date, and scan settings embedded in the header | No, BMP has no metadata fields |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert DICOM to BMP when you need to view a scan on a computer without medical imaging software, drop an image into a report or presentation, or share a single slice with someone who just needs to see the picture.
Keep the original DICOM file if you or a clinician need the full study for diagnosis, since converting to BMP flattens it to a plain picture and drops the patient and scan metadata that medical software relies on.
Why not just use an online converter?
DICOM files carry patient information right in the header, things like name, date of birth, and patient ID, alongside the scan itself. Send that file to an online converter and both the image and that identifying information land on someone else's server. Converting on your own computer keeps the scan, and everything attached to it, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting DICOM to BMP lose any image quality?
The pixel data itself converts without loss, but BMP can only hold one flat image. If the DICOM file contains a full series of slices, you get one BMP per slice rather than the original study.
Will the BMP keep the patient's name and other scan details?
No. BMP has no field for that kind of information, so the patient name, ID, birth date, and scan settings stored in the DICOM header are dropped during conversion.
Can I open a DICOM file without medical imaging software?
Not directly, most general image viewers and browsers don't recognize the format. Converting it to BMP is one way to make a scan viewable on an ordinary computer.
Can this be done without uploading the scan anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the scan and any patient information in it never travel over the internet.
Why would I want BMP instead of JPG or PNG?
BMP is an older, uncompressed format, so it's a dependable choice when you want to avoid any compression artifacts, though the files end up larger than JPG or PNG.
Morphjet runs this conversion and 2,747 others, all on your machine. Available now.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.