# Image Bit Depth Inspector

Inspect real sample depth, stored pixel depth, channels, palette, alpha, color space, ICC, and HDR metadata.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-bit-depth-inspector

- **Category:** Media

- **Keywords:** image, bit depth, PNG, color, convert

## Overview

The Image Bit Depth Inspector is a specialized utility designed to analyze image files and extract detailed metadata regarding color depth and structure. It inspects the real sample depth, stored pixel depth, channels, palette presence, alpha channels, color space, ICC profiles, and HDR metadata, outputting the results in a clean JSON format.

## Inputs

- **Image File** (file)
- **Include Container Details** (checkbox)

## When to use

- When verifying if an exported PNG or TIFF image is truly 16-bit per channel or just an upscaled 8-bit file.
- When debugging color rendering issues by checking the embedded ICC profile and color space of an image asset.
- When checking for the presence of alpha channels or HDR metadata in assets before deploying them to production.

## How it works

- Upload your image file using the file input field.
- Choose whether to include container details by toggling the checkbox option.
- The tool parses the image headers and metadata blocks to extract sample depth, color model, and channel details.
- View the generated JSON output containing the precise bit depth and color space configuration.

## Use cases

- Quality assurance for game textures to ensure they match the required 8-bit or 16-bit channel specifications.
- Verifying print-ready graphics to confirm they contain the correct ICC profile and color space.
- Auditing web assets to identify unnecessary alpha channels that might be inflating file sizes.

## Frequently asked questions

### What image formats does this inspector support?

It supports standard web and professional image formats including PNG, JPEG, and TIFF.

### What is the difference between bits per sample and stored bits per pixel?

Bits per sample indicates the depth of a single color channel, while stored bits per pixel represents the total bits used for all channels combined.

### Can this tool detect embedded ICC profiles?

Yes, it inspects and reports the presence of embedded ICC profiles and color space metadata.

### Does the tool modify or convert my image?

No, it only inspects and extracts metadata without altering the original image file.

### Is there a file size limit for uploading images?

Yes, the tool supports image files up to 100 MB in size.

## Related tools

- [Image Color Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-color-extractor): Extract dominant colors from images using various algorithms including k-means clustering and histogram analysis
- [Image Metadata Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-metadata): Extract comprehensive metadata from images including EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and technical information
- [Image Channel Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-channel): Extract, manipulate, and analyze individual color channels (RGB, Alpha, Luminance) with professional processing options
- [Batch Image Info Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-batch-info): View basic information for multiple images at once - dimensions, format, file size, and metadata presence
- [Image Color Picker](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/image-color-picker): Pick colors from images by specifying coordinates. Get color values in HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, and CMYK formats.
- [Convert ARW to JPEG](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/arw-to-jpg): Convert Sony ARW RAW files to JPEG format. Automatically extracts image dimensions and metadata from the RAW file.
- [Convert ARW to PNG](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/arw-to-png): Convert Sony ARW RAW files to PNG format. Automatically extracts image dimensions and metadata from the RAW file.
- [Convert CR2 to JPEG](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/cr2-to-jpg): Convert Canon CR2 RAW files to JPEG format. Automatically extracts image dimensions and metadata from the RAW file.

## Samples

- [Android Image Processing Java Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-java): Android Java image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion
- [Android Image Processing Kotlin Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-kotlin): Android Kotlin image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion
- [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion
- [Web Image Processing Rust Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-rust): Web Rust image processing examples including image read/save, scaling, and format conversion