Sponsored by:

What’s in a File Name

Names routinely provide information about people, places, and things. When it comes to file names for infrared images, names can be misleading.

Most computer software programs attach three or four-letter extensions to file names when files are created. These extensions serve a variety of purposes, one of which is indicating the type of program that created the file. Typical extensions for image files include JPEG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF.

Traditionally, image files bearing the above extensions have been readable by several popular computer programs designed for image viewing and/or image processing. These same file formats have also been readable by other software programs allowing images to be opened and imported into new files created by these programs.

During the past decade, several manufacturers of thermal imagers have used JPEG, TIFF, and BMP extensions to name image files created by their thermal imagers. Although these files bear extensions that are traditionally readable by graphics programs, they contain proprietary information that requires special software to open, view, and analyze them. Such software is available only from the manufacturer of the camera that created the file.

When it comes to infrared image files, one should never assume that image files will be compatible with software programs not provided by the manufacturer of the subject imager, regardless of the file extension.

Infraspection Institute has been providing training, certification and support for professional infrared thermographers since 1980. Our Exception® data management and reporting software is compatible with all thermal imagers and generates standards-compliant reports in minutes. For further information on software or training courses, call 609-239-4788 or visit www.infraspection.com.