PixelFormat enumeration

Specifies the format of the pixels of a bitmap in memory.

A pixel format is a number made of three parts. Bits 0 to 7 are the index of the format. Bits 8 to 15 are the size of a pixel in bits. Bits 16 to 23 are flags, which are the first six members of the table. The formats are built from these parts with Or, so the flags of a format can be tested with And, and the package offers GetPixelFormatSize and the IsAlphaPixelFormat, IsCanonicalPixelFormat, IsExtendedPixelFormat and IsIndexedPixelFormat functions that do this.

In memory a 24-bit or 32-bit pixel stores its channels in the order blue, green, red, and then alpha.

Member Value Description
PixelFormatIndexed &H00010000 A flag. The pixel values are indexes into a colour palette.
PixelFormatGDI &H00020000 A flag. GDI supports the format.
PixelFormatAlpha &H00040000 A flag. The format has an alpha component.
PixelFormatPAlpha &H00080000 A flag. The colour components are premultiplied by the alpha component.
PixelFormatExtended &H00100000 A flag. The format has 16 bits per colour component.
PixelFormatCanonical &H00200000 A flag. The format is one of the canonical formats: the 32-bit and 64-bit ARGB formats, with or without premultiplied alpha.
PixelFormatUndefined 0 The format is not specified.
PixelFormatDontCare 0 The format is not specified. Same as PixelFormatUndefined.
PixelFormat1bppIndexed &H00030101 1 bit per pixel, indexed.
PixelFormat4bppIndexed &H00030402 4 bits per pixel, indexed.
PixelFormat8bppIndexed &H00030803 8 bits per pixel, indexed.
PixelFormat16bppGrayScale &H00101004 16 bits per pixel, grayscale: 65,536 shades of gray.
PixelFormat16bppRGB555 &H00021005 16 bits per pixel. Red, green and blue have 5 bits each; 1 bit is not used.
PixelFormat16bppRGB565 &H00021006 16 bits per pixel. Red has 5 bits, green has 6 bits and blue has 5 bits.
PixelFormat16bppARGB1555 &H00061007 16 bits per pixel. Alpha has 1 bit; red, green and blue have 5 bits each.
PixelFormat24bppRGB &H00021808 24 bits per pixel. Red, green and blue have 8 bits each.
PixelFormat32bppRGB &H00022009 32 bits per pixel. Red, green and blue have 8 bits each; 8 bits are not used.
PixelFormat32bppARGB &H0026200A 32 bits per pixel. Alpha, red, green and blue have 8 bits each. The colours are not premultiplied. This is the default format of a new Bitmap.
PixelFormat32bppPARGB &H000E200B 32 bits per pixel. Alpha, red, green and blue have 8 bits each. The colours are premultiplied by the alpha component.
PixelFormat48bppRGB &H0010300C 48 bits per pixel. Red, green and blue have 16 bits each.
PixelFormat64bppARGB &H0034400D 64 bits per pixel. Alpha, red, green and blue have 16 bits each. The colours are not premultiplied.
PixelFormat64bppPARGB &H001C400E 64 bits per pixel. Alpha, red, green and blue have 16 bits each. The colours are premultiplied by the alpha component.
PixelFormat32bppCMYK &H0000200F 32 bits per pixel. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black have 8 bits each.
PixelFormatMax 16 One more than the highest index of a format. It is not a format.

Used by

Example 

Dim user As GdiPlusUser = GdiPlusUser()
Dim bmp As Bitmap = Bitmap(4!, 4!)
Dim format As PixelFormat = bmp.PixelFormat

Debug.Print format = PixelFormat32bppARGB
Debug.Print GetPixelFormatSize(format)
Debug.Print (format And PixelFormatAlpha) <> 0
Debug.Print (format And PixelFormatIndexed) <> 0
' Output:
' True
' 32
' True
' False

See Also