Convert image

How to convert image files

To convert image files from one format to another, you can use about any image editor or any image viewer software.

Image conversion is nothing complicated. It does not even need an image converter, just an image editor that is able to read the image format of the source image and to write the image format of the target image you want to obtain.

In fact, you open an image (under its original file format) to subsequently save it (under another file format).

Open

Save As...
THAT's ALL!

Example:
To convert a bmp -Bitmap Image-
to png -Portable Network Graphics-,
you open the bmp file -Menu File->Open-
with your image editor software
and you save it as a png -Menu File->Save as...-
...Yes that's all!

The dialog Save As... usually has a combo-box named Type or Format where you can select the file format you want your file to be saved as.

So the conversion of images from one format to another is just a thing of knowing an image editor that can read your source image file and write your target image file.

As long as you convert image files from one very usual format to another very usual format, most image editors will do it.

If you have to convert some rather rare format to something usual, you will just need an editor that is able to read your rare source format. No need to have a software that is able to write this format -save as... this format-

However, if for any reason you want to convert image files from an usual format into some rather rare format, then you need an image editor that is able to write THAT rare format -save as...that format-

Sometimes you may need to convert image files from one very rare format to another very rare format. Eventually you will not find a software that is able to read the rare source format AND to write the rare target format.

But you will probably find ONE software that is able to read your rare source format and ANOTHER software that is able to write your rare target format.

The advice in such a case is to convert your image to bmp with the 1st software and to convert this bmp to your target format with the 2nd software.

I have seen some people who did just change the filename and thought they are done. If you did read what's above, you have understood that renaming xy.bmp to xy.jpg will not make a jpeg image. The result is still a bitmap image but with a wrong file extension.

Our related pages:

- Read the page convert image from bmp to jpeg if you are only interested in this particular image conversion.

- Consult our table of image file formats to know which software is able to handle a given format.

- Read the page batch convert image if you need to convert a bunch of files without doing it one file by one file manually.

- Read the page avi to jpeg conversion if you want to extract still images out if a video sequence.

- Special case: Read the page raw picture format / raw picture conversion if you are taking raw pictures with your digital camera and want to convert them to tiff or jpeg files.