Export a DICOM view to PNG

DICOM compared with PNG and JPG

A DICOM object can contain original pixel data, patient and study attributes, modality information, acquisition details, display values, and identifiers used by medical imaging systems. PNG and JPG primarily store a rendered two-dimensional image. PNG uses lossless image compression, while JPG normally uses lossy compression.

Changing a DICOM image into PNG or JPG therefore does more than change a filename: it creates a new rendered image with a different purpose and data model.

How MedImages exports an image

1. Open a DICOM file in the viewer.
2. Set the window level, zoom, pan, rotation, flips, and inversion you want to preserve visually.
3. Select Export in the workspace header.
4. Your browser creates and downloads a PNG from the current viewer canvas.

The export step runs in the browser. It does not modify the uploaded DICOM object stored in your account.

When a PNG export can be useful

A standard image can be easier to place in a slide, attach to a non-clinical note, use in teaching material, or open with ordinary graphics software. Before doing so, check whether identifying information is visible in the pixels and whether your organization permits the intended use.

Important limitations

• The PNG contains the rendered view, not the original DICOM pixel data and encoding.
• DICOM tags and structured study context are not carried into the PNG by this export.
• The appearance reflects the active windowing and viewport transformations at export time.
• A PNG cannot replace the source DICOM file in an imaging archive or DICOM workflow.
• The exported image should not be treated as a diagnostic replacement for the original DICOM object.

Keep the original DICOM file. Export only when a flattened image is appropriate for the intended, authorized use.