QandAs: Tech

What is a BMP file?

Answer:
The acronym and file extension BMP (.bmp) translates to a shortcut of the term 'BitMaP'.

BMP files are image files such as are used on some Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems. Bitmap files are considered 'device-independent', in that they are accessible by various applications and systems.

Everyone is familiar with Microsoft Paint, one of the original simple-graphics-generating applications on even the earliest computers. MS Paint is a bitmap (BMP) based graphics application with the necessary code protocols to enable accessibility by a variety of platforms.

Bitmaps basically consist of a 'map of bits'; that is, a digital image map of the pixels; with each one's specific attributes (color depth, pixels per inch, etc.). Bitmap files save and store images based on changes made to each of the pixels when a particular image is created.

Bitmap (BMP) files are fairly large unless they are compressed. Uncompressed BMP files are difficult to exchange over the Internet or through email. Compressed BMP files, such as a GIF file, require less storage and transfer resources, thus bitmaps become perhaps more of the 'master-file' genre, and the compressed versions are used for sharing and communication purposes.