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Bitmap

What Does Bitmap Mean?

Bitmap (BMP) is an image file format that can be used to create and store computer graphics. A bitmap file displays a small dots in a pattern that, when viewed from afar, creates an overall image. A bitmap image is a grid made of rows and columns where a specific cell is given a value that fills it in or leaves it blank, thus creating an image out of the data.

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Techopedia Explains Bitmap

To create a bitmap, an image is broken into the smallest possible units (pixels) and then the color information of each pixel (color depth) is stored in bits that are mapped out in rows and columns. The complexity of a bitmap image can be increased by varying the color intensity of each dot or by increasing the number of rows and columns used to create the image. However, when a user magnifies a bitmap image enough, it eventually becomes pixelated as the dots resolve into tiny squares of color on a grid.

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