Question 1

Why are BMP files so much larger than JPG?

Accepted Answer

BMP stores every pixel as raw color data with no compression whatsoever. A 1920x1080 BMP at 24-bit color is always exactly 5.93 MB regardless of the image content. JPG uses DCT-based lossy compression that exploits how human vision works — it discards details you're unlikely to notice, often achieving 10-20x reduction.

Question 2

What kind of size reduction should I expect?

Accepted Answer

A typical BMP photograph will shrink by 90-95% when converted to JPG at the default quality setting. A 6 MB BMP screenshot usually becomes 200-600 KB as a JPG. The exact ratio depends on image complexity — photos compress better than screenshots with sharp text.

Question 3

Does BMP-to-JPG conversion lose quality?

Accepted Answer

JPG is a lossy format, so some fine detail is discarded during compression. At the default quality level (around 80-85%), the difference is invisible for photographs. If you need pixel-perfect output, convert to PNG instead — the file will be larger but lossless.

Convert BMP to JPG

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