BMP vs EPS
A detailed comparison of BMP Image and Encapsulated PostScript — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.
BMP Image
Raster & Vector ImagesBMP 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 filesEncapsulated PostScript
Raster & Vector ImagesEPS is a PostScript-based vector image format historically used in print and publishing. While largely superseded by PDF and SVG, it remains common in legacy print workflows and stock illustration libraries.
About EPS filesStrengths 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.
EPS Strengths
- Vector-based — infinite resolution with no rasterization artifacts.
- Preserves exact CMYK colors, spot inks, and print-ready metadata.
- Universally accepted by professional prepress and sign-making workflows.
- Self-contained — fonts and images can be embedded inside the file.
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.
EPS Limitations
- Legacy format — Illustrator 2020+ deprecated EPS import for security reasons.
- No built-in support for transparency — a longstanding pain point for designers.
- Web browsers do not render EPS; previews are often a low-res TIFF thumbnail.
- PostScript parsing is slow and memory-hungry compared to modern vector formats.
- Newer work is better handed off as PDF or SVG.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | BMP | EPS |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | image/bmp | application/postscript |
| Extensions | .bmp, .dib | .eps, .epsf, .epsi |
| Compression | None (typical); RLE 4/8 bit (rare) | — |
| Color depths | 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 bits per pixel | — |
| Byte order | Little-endian | — |
| Standard | — | Adobe EPS Specification 3.0 (1992) |
| Language | — | PostScript Level 2 / 3 |
| Bounding box | — | Required in header (%%BoundingBox) |
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
EPS
- Simple logo (few paths) 10-80 KB
- Complex vector illustration 500 KB - 5 MB
- Full-page layout with embedded images 10-100 MB
Ready to convert?
Convert between BMP and EPS online, free, and without installing anything. Encrypted upload, automatic deletion after 60 minutes.
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.