# Converting bitmaps to jpeg's and gif's **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280 "2001-03-08T23:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/1 "2001-03-08T23:25:51Z")
is something I just don’t know how to do. I think there must be a way but for the life of me I can’t figure it out. How do I convert a picture I made in PC Paintbrush on Windows 95 into jpeg or a gif format? ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/2 "2001-03-08T23:41:14Z")
- - - You can’t, with that program. It don’t do it, it only saves in bitmap format. Paint Shop Pro will, if you download the demo. (The demo works for 30 days, assuming you don’t save a copy of your registry before installing it) - MC ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/3 "2001-03-08T23:48:19Z")
- - - No, wait — that’s the old one. I don’t got it to check. - Paint only saves in bitmap format; when you click the “save as” drop-down box, bitmaps are all it lists, because that’s all there is and that’s all it will do. So probably, if bitmaps are all it lists, then that’s all there is and that’s all you can do (with that program). ~ Paint Shop Pro 7 (for example) lists 32 different formats. - MC ---
**Author:** ![McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/4 "2001-03-08T23:52:18Z")
Thanks MC. I’ll have a look for a demo version of Paintshop Pro ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/5 "2001-03-09T00:10:45Z")
You may also want to get [Irfanview](http://www.irfanview.com), an essential bit of freeware for graphics. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/6 "2001-03-09T02:35:47Z")
I like this product: > **[Home - Handmade Software](http://www.handmadesw.com/)** > > \[vc\_row full\_width=”stretch\_row” css=”.vc\_custom\_1510684485918{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”\]\[vc\_column\]\[rev\_slider\_vc alias=”home\_v1″\]\[/vc\_column\]\[/vc\_row\]\[vc\_section full\_width=”stretch\_row”... there’s a free download; it converts almost any format to any. ---
**Author:** ![Bboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Bboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bboy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/7 "2001-03-09T05:55:54Z")
OK, I gotta chime in here. Paint Shop Pro is an exceptional shareware program. It handles around 35 graphic formats and easily converts between them. The unregistered version comes fully functional, sans documentation. The registration fee(around $70-$80 several versions ago) gets you the documentation. The latest versions automatically become disabled after 30 days to persuade you to register them, and as **MC** pointed out before, normal reinstallation is ineffective. _ **HOWEVER** , I am currently(let me check…) on day number **428** of my 30 day free trial period._ How did I achieve this nifty workaround? Simple, I am using version 3.0, which predates the built-in disabling function. ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/8 "2001-03-09T13:15:47Z")
I’m using PSP 7.00. The splash screen states… > [@](#): > > You havae exceeded the 30 day trial period of this software. After 60 days this program will not run. Please click the Order button to purchase a licensed version. You are on day 120 of your 30 day evaluation period. …and I can still load/edit/save pics. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/9 "2001-03-09T13:20:14Z")
I use Imagoweb; [http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Multimedia\_and\_Graphics/Graphics\_Editors/](http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Multimedia_and_Graphics/Graphics_Editors/) imagoWEB.html Its freeware and pretty easy to use too. It has a ton more options apart from converting between formats. ---
**Author:** ![muppetsoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@muppetsoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muppetsoup)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/10 "2001-03-09T13:56:20Z")
Hey guys… I have 98SE on my box here at work, and my MS Paint program can save as .bmp, .gif, or .jpg. I can open a bitmap with it and just save it as a .jpg. I do highly recommend IrfanView though. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/11 "2001-03-09T14:09:23Z")
Interesting. I have MS Paint on my Windows 95 work machine, and it will only save bitmaps. I have MS Paint on my Windows 98 PC at home, and it will save as GIF or JPEG. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/12 "2001-03-09T14:16:16Z")
PSP is up to version 7 now and comes with Animation Shop 3. Registration is around $100. I started with version 4, which came with my scanner, IIRC. For some reason, the version 4 I have won’t do GIFs, which is why I downloaded 7. I also have some Adobe “special edition” software that came with some of my other hardware. I like PSP better because of the browse function. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/13 "2001-03-10T00:32:35Z")
Starting with Cairo, (early Win98), Paint will let you export as GIF or JPEG. The Escher (drawing) engine for the Win32 platform was improved to make it much easier to change between raster graphic formats, so we offered it for free in Paint. However, PaintShop Pro is one of the greatest software programs ever created, and that’s what everyone should use for graphic exporting. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-bitmaps-to-jpegs-and-gifs/57280/14 "2001-03-10T01:41:38Z")
Have you tried using “Rename” from the context menu and just typing in “.jpg” instead of “.bmp”? Just kidding folks! For the Macintosh, the best shareware graphics program (IMHO) is [GraphicConverter from Lemke software](http://www.lemkesoft.de/us_gcabout.html). Does pretty much the same thing as PaintShop Pro, and it’s only US$ 35! Note: I am not affiliated with Lemke Software and do not profit in any way from the sale of Graphic Converter.