BMP and PDF explained
BMP stores pixels essentially raw, with little or no compression. A 1920×1080 BMP is around 6 MB regardless of what the picture contains, because every pixel takes the same space whether it is part of a gradient or a flat colour.
PDF describes a page as a fixed arrangement of text, vector graphics and images. Unlike a word processor document, it is designed so the page looks identical everywhere — which is exactly why it is awkward to edit.
- Where BMP files come from
- Legacy Windows software, some scientific and industrial imaging tools.
- Where PDF is used
- Contracts, invoices, reports, forms, academic papers and scanned documents.