Images conversion
Convert DICOM to GIF
DICOM is the file format medical scanners like MRI and CT machines produce, and GIF is a simple, widely compatible image format that opens in any browser or app. To convert DICOM to GIF, open the file in a converter and export it as GIF. Doing it on your own computer keeps the scan, and the patient details embedded in it, off other people's servers.
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
- .gif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Animations, memes
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert DICOM to GIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.
How to convert DICOM to GIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the DICOM file, or a whole folder of scans, from your export folder or USB drive.
- Choose GIF as the output format.
- Convert. The GIF is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
DICOM vs GIF: what actually changes
| DICOM | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | No, needs a DICOM viewer or medical imaging software | Yes, opens in any browser, app, or messaging tool |
| File size | Large, often tens of megabytes per scan | Much smaller, a simple flat image |
| Color depth | High, often 12- or 16-bit grayscale for diagnostic detail | Low, limited to 256 colors total |
| Quality | Lossless, full diagnostic detail | Lossless compression, but the 256-color limit flattens subtle grayscale gradients |
| Patient metadata | Yes, patient name, ID, and scan date usually embedded | No, GIF has no place to store structured patient metadata |
| Best for | Diagnostic viewing, medical records | Sharing, presentations, quick previews |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert DICOM to GIF when you want to share a scan image in an email, a presentation, a case write-up, or a message thread where the recipient doesn't have medical imaging software installed.
Keep the DICOM original if the image will be used for diagnosis or kept as part of a medical record, since GIF's 256-color limit strips out fine grayscale detail a radiologist relies on.
Why not just use an online converter?
DICOM files typically carry patient information embedded right in the file, name, date of birth, medical record number, and the facility that took the scan. Send that file to an online converter and this data travels to their servers along with the image. Converting on your own computer means the scan, and the patient details in it, never leave your machine.
Questions
Does converting DICOM to GIF lose image quality?
Yes, some. GIF only supports 256 colors, so a DICOM scan's 12- or 16-bit grayscale detail gets compressed down. That's fine for a quick preview or sharing, but not for diagnosis.
Will the GIF still have the patient information from the DICOM file?
No. GIF has no field for structured metadata like patient name or ID, so that information is left behind when you convert. Only the visible image carries over.
Can I convert a DICOM scan to GIF without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts it on your own computer, so the scan and any patient details in it never touch the internet.
Why convert a medical scan to GIF instead of keeping it as DICOM?
GIF opens in any browser or app without special software, which makes it useful for a single image in a presentation, report, or message. DICOM stays the format used for actual diagnostic review.
Can I convert a whole folder of DICOM scans at once?
Yes. Drag the folder in and Morphjet converts each scan to its own GIF.
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.