BMP2 File Format (.bmp2)

BMP2 is ImageMagick's name for a Windows bitmap saved with the original 12-byte BITMAPCOREHEADER from 1987's OS/2 1.x, an encoding choice rather than a different file format, so the result is an ordinary uncompressed .bmp using the oldest and most limited header structure.

.bmp2Image Files

BMP2 at a glance#

Full name	Microsoft Windows bitmap image (V2)
File extension	.bmp2
Category	Image Files
MIME types	image/bmp
Other extensions	.bmp
Compression	Uncompressed
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads and writes this format

What a .bmp2 file can hold#

These are the things a BMP2 file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Transparency (alpha channel)	No
Lossless compression	Yes
Embedded metadata	No
Colour profiles	No

Strengths and limitations of BMP2#

What BMP2 does well

Decodes correctly on decades-old OS/2 and early-Windows software that the modern BMP header confuses
Slightly smaller header overhead than the header used by ordinary BMP files today

Where BMP2 falls short

Capped at 24-bit color, with no 16-bit or 32-bit pixel formats
No RLE compression option at all, so every pixel is stored uncompressed
No alpha channel, so transparency isn't possible

Choose BMP2 only when a specific legacy OS/2 or early-1990s Windows program requires the old-style bitmap header.

Save as standard BMP or BMP3 for anything opened on a modern system, since BMP2's extra compatibility buys nothing there.

How to open a .bmp2 file#

A .bmp2 file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts BMP2 into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.

Platform	Programs that open it
Windows	Paint, Photos, IrfanView, Adobe Photoshop
macOS	Preview, GIMP
Linux	GIMP, ImageMagick
Web	FileFlip

BMP2 questions people ask#

What is BMP2?

BMP2 is ImageMagick's name for a Windows bitmap written with the original 12-byte BITMAPCOREHEADER from OS/2 1.x, not a separate image format. The file is still a plain, uncompressed .bmp and opens anywhere BMP does.

What's the difference between BMP2 and BMP3?

BMP2 uses the old 12-byte OS/2 1.x header and tops out at 24-bit color with no compression. BMP3 uses the 40-byte BITMAPINFOHEADER that Windows 3.0 introduced, which adds 16-bit and 32-bit pixel formats plus RLE compression, and is the header nearly every modern BMP file actually uses.

Should I use BMP2 for a new project?

No, BMP2 has no advantage on a modern system. Use plain BMP or BMP3 instead, and reach for BMP2 only if a legacy OS/2 or early-1990s Windows application specifically requires that header.

Converting BMP2 files#

Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.