Images conversion
Convert DICOM to JPG
DICOM is the format used for medical scans like MRI, CT, and X-ray images, and it needs specialized viewer software to open. JPG opens on any device. To convert, open the DICOM file in a converter and export it as JPG on your own computer, so the scan and the patient details inside it never touch anyone 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
- .jpg
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- The universal photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert DICOM to JPG on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.
How to convert DICOM to JPG
- Open Morphjet and drag in the DICOM file, or a whole folder of scans, that you want to convert.
- Choose JPG as the output format.
- Convert. Each JPG is written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
DICOM vs JPG: what actually changes
| DICOM | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | No, needs specialized medical viewer software | Yes, universal support |
| File size | Large, stores raw uncompressed pixel data | Much smaller, compressed |
| Quality | Lossless, full diagnostic detail | Very good, with a small one-time loss on export |
| Multiple images per file | Often yes, a whole scan series in one file | No, one image per file |
| Patient and scan metadata | Yes, extensive (name, ID, scan details) | No |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert DICOM to JPG when you need to view a scan on a regular computer, share an image with someone who doesn't have medical viewer software, or drop it into a document or presentation.
Keep the original DICOM file for anything clinical or diagnostic, since JPG strips out the precise pixel data and study information a viewer or radiologist actually needs.
Why not just use an online converter?
DICOM files don't just hold the image, they carry patient information baked into the file itself, things like patient name, date of birth, and the clinic where the scan was taken. Sending that file to an online converter means a stranger's server receives it along with all of that. Converting on your own computer means the scan, and the person it belongs to, never leaves your machine.
Questions
Does converting DICOM to JPG lose quality?
Yes, a little. DICOM stores the full, lossless pixel data a scanner captured, and JPG compresses it on export. For viewing or sharing a single image that loss is rarely noticeable, but it's not something to rely on for diagnosis.
Will the JPG keep the patient information from the DICOM file?
DICOM's patient and study details are stored in tags specific to the DICOM format, they don't map onto JPG's metadata fields, so a converted JPG generally won't carry that information over, just the image itself.
Can I open a DICOM file without medical viewer software?
Not usually. DICOM needs software built to read its format, which is why clinics and hospitals rely on dedicated viewers. Converting the scan to JPG turns it into a plain image any photo app, browser, or Windows PC can open.
Can I convert a DICOM scan to JPG without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the scan never travels over the internet. That matters for medical images given how sensitive the patient details inside them can be.
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.