365tools

DICOM Converter

Convert DICOM medical files to JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP with window/level controls.

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Medical file privacy

DICOM files contain patient health information (PHI). This tool processes everything locally in your browser — your files never leave your device. Enable “Strip metadata” before exporting to remove identifying information.

How DICOM Converter Works

1

Drop your DICOM files

Drag and drop one or more .dcm or .dicom files. The tool parses them instantly in your browser — no uploads.

2

Adjust Window / Level

Use presets (Lung, Bone, Brain, Abdomen) or manually set Window Center and Width to optimize brightness and contrast for your scan type.

3

Export your images

Choose JPG, PNG, WebP, or BMP and download. Multi-frame DICOMs export all frames. Batch downloads are packaged as a ZIP.

Key Features

Window / Level Control

Adjust Window Center and Window Width to control brightness and contrast. Essential for visualizing different tissue types in CT/MRI data.

Scan Type Presets

One-click presets optimized for Lung, Bone, Brain, Abdomen, and Soft Tissue CT windows — instantly shows the right visualization.

Multi-frame DICOM

Supports multi-frame DICOM files (e.g. CT series stored in a single file). Preview each frame and export all or selected frames.

PHI Metadata Stripping

The "Strip metadata" option (on by default) removes patient name, ID, DOB, and other PHI from the exported image before download.

4 Output Formats

Export as JPG (smallest file), PNG (lossless), WebP (best web format), or BMP (uncompressed). Choose based on your workflow.

Batch Conversion

Process multiple DICOM files at once. All converted images are packaged into a single ZIP for easy download.

What is a DICOM file?

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is the universal standard for storing and transmitting medical images. Every CT scan, MRI, X-ray, and ultrasound image captured in a modern hospital is stored as a DICOM file (.dcm or .dicom extension). DICOM files differ from ordinary image files in two important ways:

  • Rich metadata: Each file embeds extensive patient and study information — name, date of birth, patient ID, physician, institution, acquisition date, modality, and dozens of imaging parameters.
  • High bit-depth pixel data: CT images use 12–16 bit pixel values (Hounsfield Units), far beyond the 8-bit range of standard JPG/PNG. This allows radiologists to window and zoom into any tissue type without losing detail.

Converting DICOM to JPG or PNG is useful when you need to share images with patients, include them in reports, or use them in non-medical software — and the window/level tool is essential for making the images actually visible and diagnostically useful.

Understanding Window / Level

A raw CT image contains Hounsfield Units (HU) ranging from approximately -1000 (air) to +3000 (dense bone). A computer screen can only display 256 shades of gray, so we must select a window — a sub-range of HU values to map onto black-to-white.

PresetCenter (HU)Width (HU)Best For
Brain4080Brain parenchyma, hemorrhage
Soft Tissue50350Muscle, fat, abdominal organs
Abdomen60400Liver, spleen, kidneys
Lung-6001500Lung parenchyma, air spaces
Bone4001800Cortical bone, fractures

Frequently Asked Questions

Q
What is a DICOM file (.dcm)?
A
DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is the international standard format for medical imaging. .dcm files store image data from CT scanners, MRI machines, X-ray equipment, and ultrasound devices, along with metadata such as patient demographics, acquisition parameters, and study information.
Q
Is it safe to convert DICOM files online?
A
On 365tools.net, yes — because your DICOM files are never uploaded to any server. All processing happens locally in your browser using the dicom-parser library. Your files (and the patient data they may contain) never leave your device. We also provide a metadata stripping option to remove PHI before exporting.
Q
What is Window / Level (Window Center and Width)?
A
Window Center (also called Level) and Window Width are display parameters that control which range of Hounsfield Units (HU) in a CT scan are shown as visible gray shades. Raw DICOM pixel data covers a wide range of values (-1000 to +3000 HU for CT); windowing maps a specific range onto the 0-255 display range. For example, a Brain window (C:40, W:80) shows only the narrow HU range relevant for brain tissue, making subtle differences visible.
Q
What are the Window / Level presets?
A
The presets are standard radiological window settings: Lung (C:-600, W:1500) for viewing lung parenchyma; Bone (C:400, W:1800) for cortical bone; Brain (C:40, W:80) for brain tissue; Abdomen (C:60, W:400) for abdominal organs; Soft Tissue (C:50, W:350) for muscle and fat. These are starting points — you can fine-tune with the sliders.
Q
What is PHI and why should I strip it?
A
PHI stands for Protected Health Information — personal data embedded in DICOM metadata such as patient name, date of birth, patient ID, institution name, and study date. When you export a DICOM file as JPG or PNG for sharing, the PHI is removed from the image file (standard image formats don't carry DICOM metadata) but we recommend verifying this. The Strip Metadata option (enabled by default) ensures no DICOM tags are written into the output file.
Q
My DICOM image looks completely black or washed out — what do I do?
A
This is a windowing issue. CT data covers thousands of Hounsfield Units but your display can only show 256 gray levels. The default window may not be appropriate for your specific scan. Try one of the preset windows (Lung, Bone, Brain, Abdomen) or adjust the Window Center and Window Width sliders manually until the relevant anatomy becomes visible.
Q
What DICOM modalities are supported?
A
The tool supports standard monochrome DICOM files from CT, MRI, CR (X-ray), DX (digital radiography), and MG (mammography). Color DICOMs (e.g. from ultrasound) are also supported. Very proprietary manufacturer-specific DICOM variants may not parse correctly.
Q
Can I convert multi-frame DICOM files?
A
Yes. Multi-frame DICOMs (where a single .dcm file contains multiple image slices, common in CT series) are detected automatically. You can preview individual frames and all frames are exported — each as a separate image file, bundled into a ZIP for download.
Q
Which output format should I choose?
A
JPG is best for sharing — smaller file size, widely supported. PNG is best when you need lossless quality (no compression artifacts). WebP gives the smallest file size for web use. BMP is uncompressed and compatible with older Windows software.

After Converting — Work with Your Images

Image Converter

Convert between PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, and BMP with quality control.

Image Compressor

Reduce JPG and PNG file size with before/after preview and savings display.

Merge PDFs

Combine multiple PDFs into one document with drag-to-reorder support.