Image Bit Depth Inspector

Image Bit Depth Inspector | Online Free Tool | Elysia Tools

Tool usage guide

Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Category: Media
Input types: file, checkbox
Output type: json
Sample coverage: 4
API ready: Yes

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.

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

1Upload your image file using the file input field.
2Choose whether to include container details by toggling the checkbox option.
3The tool parses the image headers and metadata blocks to extract sample depth, color model, and channel details.
4View 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.

Examples

1. Verifying 16-bit PNG Textures for Game Development

Technical Artist

Background

A game engine requires true 16-bit heightmaps to prevent banding, but some exported PNGs look like they might only have 8-bit depth.

Problem

Confirming the actual bits per sample and stored bits per pixel of the exported PNG files.

How to use

Upload the PNG heightmap file and ensure 'Include Container Details' is checked.

{"includeContainerDetails": true}

Outcome

The tool outputs JSON confirming bitsPerSample is 16 and storedBitsPerPixel is 48, verifying it is a true 16-bit RGB image.

2. Checking Web Assets for Unused Alpha Channels

Web Performance Engineer

Background

A website's hero images are loading slowly, and the engineer suspects some PNGs contain unnecessary alpha channels.

Problem

Identifying if images have an active alpha channel contributing to larger file sizes.

How to use

Upload the target image file to the inspector.

FAQ

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.

{"includeContainerDetails": false}

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Inputs

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Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Overview

When to use

How it works

Use cases

Examples

1. Verifying 16-bit PNG Textures for Game Development

2. Checking Web Assets for Unused Alpha Channels

FAQ

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