Convert BMP to JPG
BMP files are pixel data stored with almost no compression — a format from the early Windows era that scanners, Paint, and legacy software still emit. Converting to JPG routinely shrinks them by 90–95% with no visible difference on photographic content.
Open converterHow to convert BMP to JPG
- 1
Open the bulky BMP
Drag in the scanner output or old Paint file — even a 36 MB bitmap is handled locally in your browser, with JPG already chosen as the output.
- 2
Set quality 85 for scans
That level keeps scanned photos and documents looking identical while the raw, uncompressed pixel rows shrink to a fraction of their size.
- 3
Download — and watch the size drop
Click Convert & download; expect savings around 90–95%. Digitizing a stack of scans? The Batch tab processes them all and bundles a ZIP.
Why convert BMP to JPG?
-
The savings are extreme: a 36 MB 24-bit BMP scan typically becomes a 2–3 MB JPG.
-
BMPs are unwelcome on the modern web — browsers display them grudgingly and uploaders often refuse them.
-
Emailing or archiving scans becomes practical once each page isn't tens of megabytes.
-
JPG opens everywhere BMP does, plus everywhere it doesn't.
What actually happens to your file
An uncompressed BMP spends three bytes per pixel no matter what the image shows — a 4000×3000 scan is about 36 MB of raw rows, which is why the files feel absurd today. JPG instead spends bytes where the image has detail, which suits scans and photos perfectly. The conversion decodes the bitmap and encodes JPG at your chosen quality; 85 is a sensible default for scanned photos and documents you read rather than archive. For BMPs containing screenshots or line art, consider PNG output instead — it stays lossless, keeps text razor-sharp, and still crushes the BMP's size.
Frequently asked questions
Why are BMP files so enormous?
Most BMPs store every pixel raw — no compression at all. File size depends only on dimensions: every 4000×3000 image is about 36 MB whether it's a photo or a blank white page. JPG spends bytes only where there's detail.
Will converting my scans to JPG lose quality?
Technically yes, JPG is lossy — but at quality 85+ the difference on a scanned photo or document is invisible in normal use, and the file drops to a twentieth of the size. For archival masters, PNG is the lossless alternative.
Should old BMP screenshots become JPG or PNG?
PNG. Screenshots are full of text and hard edges, which JPG compression visibly fuzzes. PNG keeps them pixel-perfect and is still vastly smaller than the BMP.