BMP vs CDR — Differences, File Size & When to Use Each

BMP vs CDR

A detailed comparison of BMP Image and CorelDRAW — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.

Convert CDR → BMP

BMP

BMP Image

Raster & Vector Images

BMP is an uncompressed raster image format native to Windows. Files are large but preserve exact pixel data with no compression artifacts. Rarely used on the web due to file size.

About BMP files

CDR

CorelDRAW

Raster & Vector Images

CDR is the native vector graphics format for CorelDRAW, a popular illustration and graphic design application. It supports multi-page documents, layers, color management, and both vector and bitmap content in a single file.

About CDR files

Strengths Comparison

BMP Strengths

Dead-simple format — trivially easy to read and write.
Lossless and uncompressed — perfect bit-exact pixel storage.
Universally supported in Windows applications since 1985.
Supports 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32-bit color depths.

CDR Strengths

Native format for CorelDRAW, an industry standard in signage and prepress.
Multi-page documents (unlike Illustrator's art boards).
Strong color management (CMYK, Pantone spot, ICC).
Large market share in Eastern Europe and niche print industries.

Limitations

BMP Limitations

Enormous file sizes — no meaningful compression in typical use.
Not a web format — browsers support it but nobody serves BMPs over HTTP.
No metadata support (no EXIF, no ICC profile in practice).
Multiple header versions mean "a BMP" is ambiguous — parsers must handle several variants.

CDR Limitations

Proprietary, unstable format — versions drift dramatically.
No Adobe Illustrator interoperability; SVG export is the compatibility path.
Third-party CDR import support (Inkscape, etc.) is partial.
File sizes balloon quickly with embedded photos.

Technical Specifications

Specification	BMP	CDR
MIME type	image/bmp	application/x-coreldraw
Extensions	.bmp, .dib	.cdr, .cdt (template), .cmx (interchange)
Compression	None (typical); RLE 4/8 bit (rare)	—
Color depths	1, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 bits per pixel	—
Byte order	Little-endian	—
Container	—	Proprietary binary (RIFF-like)
Native app	—	CorelDRAW
Versions	—	1 (1989) through 2024 and beyond

Typical File Sizes

BMP

Small icon (32×32) 4 KB
Screenshot (1920×1080) ~6 MB
4K image (3840×2160) ~25 MB
Scanned A4 at 300 dpi ~25 MB

CDR

Logo with a few objects 100-500 KB
Multi-page brochure 5-30 MB
Complex vehicle wrap design 50-300 MB

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Frequently Asked Questions

BMP (Bitmap) is a raster image format developed by Microsoft for Windows. It stores images with no compression by default, resulting in large file sizes but pixel-perfect quality. It has been part of Windows since version 1.0.

BMP (Bitmap) is a raster image formato developed by Microsoft para Windows. It stores images com no compressão by default, resulting in large tamanho do arquivos mas pixel-perfect quality. It has been part of Windows since version 1.0.

BMP files open in Windows Paint, Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, and virtually any image viewer. All Windows applications support BMP natively.

BMP arquivos abrir in Windows Paint, Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, e virtually any image viewer. All Windows aplicativos support BMP natively.

PNG is better than BMP in almost every scenario since it provides lossless compression (smaller files), transparency support, and wider cross-platform use. BMP is mainly relevant for legacy Windows applications.

PNG is melhor que BMP in almost every scenario since it fornece sem perdas compressão (smaller files), transparência support, e wider cross-platform use. BMP is mainly relevant para legacy Windows aplicativos.