Free online BMP to SVGZ converter

What the BMP format is

BMP is a raster image format that stores pixels, commonly with uncompressed RGB or RGBA data and sometimes with indexed colors. It is associated with Microsoft Windows and is created or exported by Paint, Windows graphics tools, scanners, screenshot utilities, and image editors such as GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, and Krita.

BMP files preserve fixed pixel dimensions rather than geometric shapes. Enlarging one usually reveals blocky pixels, and uncompressed BMP files can be much larger than PNG or JPEG files with the same dimensions. You commonly encounter BMP when receiving legacy Windows artwork, extracting images from older software, or working with raw screenshots and technical imagery.

What the SVGZ format is

SVGZ is a gzip-compressed SVG file. SVG itself is an XML-based vector format that describes paths, shapes, text, gradients, and other drawing elements; SVGZ applies gzip compression to that XML and normally uses the .svgz extension.

SVGZ is useful for logos, diagrams, icons, maps, and line artwork that must remain sharp at different sizes. It is often smaller than the equivalent uncompressed SVG, especially when the SVG contains repetitive path and XML data. SVGZ does not automatically turn pixels into vectors: an SVGZ can contain an embedded BMP or another raster image, in which case it remains pixel-based despite the new extension.

How to actually convert BMP to SVGZ

For editable vector artwork: use Inkscape

1. Open the BMP in Inkscape with File → Import and choose the original image.
2. Select the imported bitmap, then open Path → Trace Bitmap. Choose Brightness cutoff for monochrome artwork, Multiple scans for colored artwork, or a color-quantization option when preserving a limited palette matters.
3. Preview the trace and adjust the threshold, scan count, smoothing, and speckle suppression. More scans and less filtering preserve detail but produce larger, more complex SVG files.
4. Click Apply. Inkscape places the traced paths over the original bitmap; move or delete the bitmap before saving if the output must contain only vector objects.
5. Choose File → Save As, select Optimized SVG or Compressed plain SVG (*.svgz) if that option is available in the installed Inkscape version, and save the result with an .svgz extension.

Inkscape's tracing process is the appropriate choice for logos, signatures, icons, and black-and-white diagrams. It cannot recover detail that the BMP does not contain, and a photograph normally produces an impractically large collection of vector shapes.

For a compressed SVG containing the original pixels

If preserving the bitmap exactly is more important than creating editable paths, import the BMP into an SVG document in a graphics editor, save it as image.svg, and gzip that SVG:

gzip -c image.svg > image.svgz

This creates a valid gzip-compressed SVGZ, but the SVG still contains a raster image. Do not use this method when the receiving application requires actual vector paths.

Using the online converter

You can convert the file for free on the 101convert.com website without installing software: upload the BMP, select SVGZ as the output format, start the conversion, and download the generated file. Check the result in an SVG-capable viewer, particularly when the BMP contains transparency, fine text, or multiple colors.

Quality and compatibility limitations

Bitmap tracing is an interpretation, not a lossless format change. Anti-aliased edges become extra paths, small features may disappear during noise removal, and photographs can create thousands of shapes. Inspect the traced result at 100% and at the intended display size; simplify paths only after confirming that corners and narrow gaps remain correct.

SVGZ support is less consistent than SVG support. Modern browsers generally display SVGZ when the server sends Content-Type: image/svg+xml and applies no incorrect second compression, but some desktop applications, content-management systems, and preview tools accept only uncompressed .svg. If a program rejects SVGZ, decompress it with gunzip image.svgz or an archive utility and provide the resulting SVG.

When SVGZ contains an embedded raster image, linked fonts or external images can still fail when the file is moved. Embed required images, convert critical text to paths when exact font rendering is required, and verify that the output does not depend on unavailable external resources.