The DIB (Device Independent Bitmap) file format was developed to allow free image transfer regardless of display device (hence the name of the format) or operating system. DIB files were first used with Microsoft Windows and IBM's OS/2.

DIB files are similar to bitmap files, the only thing differentiating them being the lack of a file header and the fact that they're not device dependent. The DIB file format contains all the information required for displaying a bitmap including color palette and metric resolution.

DIB files can store 2D images of various resolutions, widths or heights and with color depths of 1, 4, 8, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel. The DIB file format can also be compressed with various algorithms without affecting the quality of the image.