dcmtk(1)

📦 version 3.7.1, in arch rolling

🌈 OFFIS DCMTK presents: dcmtk(1), the tool-launcher bestie 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

dcmtk — execute a DCMTK command line tool, bestie. That’s the whole vibe.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

dcmtk [options] tool [tool-parameters-and-options]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so dcmtk is literally the main character here: it maintains a list of all available DCMTK command line tools and acts as a proxy for calling the tools, passing on all arguments and options. Periodt.

It looks for the command line tools in the same directory where dcmtk is present, ignoring the system PATH environment variable. This is useful when multiple versions of DCMTK are installed simultaneously. No cap, that’s the whole point.

Heads-up bestie: it does not go hunting through your system PATH — it stays in its own directory. Iconic behavior, honestly.

🎀 PARAMETERS 🎀

  • tool — the DCMTK command line tool to call (see the list below, bestie 💖)

✨ OPTIONS ✨

general options 🦋

  • -h, --help — print this help text and exit
  • --version — print version information and exit
  • -d, --debug — debug mode, print debug information

👑 TOOLS 👑

conversion tools 🧚

  • dcm2img — converts a DICOM image to a standard image format
  • dcm2json — converts a DICOM file and data set to JSON
  • dcm2xml — converts a DICOM file and data set to XML
  • dcmconv — converts DICOM file encoding
  • dcmdecap — extracts a file from DICOM encapsulated storage
  • dcmdump — dumps a DICOM file and data set
  • dcmencap — encapsulates a document into DICOM format
  • dcmodify — modifies DICOM files
  • dcmp2pgm — reads a DICOM image and presentation state and renders a bitmap
  • drtdump — dumps a DICOM RT file and data set
  • dsr2html — renders a DICOM SR file and data set to HTML/XHTML
  • dsr2xml — converts a DICOM SR file and data set to XML
  • dsrdump — dumps a DICOM SR file and data set
  • dump2dcm — converts an ASCII dump to a DICOM file
  • img2dcm — converts standard image formats into DICOM format
  • json2dcm — converts a JSON document to a DICOM file or data set
  • xml2dcm — converts an XML document to a DICOM file or data set
  • xml2dsr — converts an XML document to a DICOM SR file

compression tools 🍓

  • dcmcjpeg — encodes a DICOM file to JPEG transfer syntax
  • dcmcjpls — encodes a DICOM file to JPEG-LS transfer syntax
  • dcmcrle — encodes a DICOM file to RLE transfer syntax
  • dcmdjpeg — decodes a JPEG-compressed DICOM file
  • dcmdjpls — decodes a JPEG-LS compressed DICOM file
  • dcmdrle — decodes an RLE-compressed DICOM file

network tools 🌐

  • dcmprscp — DICOM basic grayscale print management SCP
  • dcmprscu — print spooler for presentation state viewer
  • dcmpsrcv — network receive for presentation state viewer
  • dcmpssnd — network send for presentation state viewer
  • dcmqrscp — DICOM image archive (central test node)
  • dcmrecv — simple DICOM storage SCP (receiver)
  • dcmsend — simple DICOM storage SCU (sender)
  • echoscu — DICOM verification (C-ECHO) SCU
  • findscu — DICOM query (C-FIND) SCU
  • getscu — DICOM retrieve (C-GET) SCU
  • movescu — DICOM retrieve (C-MOVE) SCU
  • storescp — DICOM storage (C-STORE) SCP
  • storescu — DICOM storage (C-STORE) SCU
  • termscu — DICOM termination SCU
  • wlmscpfs — DICOM Basic Worklist Management SCP (based on data files)

miscellaneous tools 🌸

  • dcmdspfn — exports standard display curves to a text file
  • dcmftest — tests if a file uses DICOM part 10 format
  • dcmicmp — compares DICOM images and computes difference metrics
  • dcmmkcrv — adds 2D curve data to an image
  • dcmmkdir — creates a DICOMDIR file
  • dcmmklut — creates DICOM look-up tables
  • dcmpschk — checking tool for presentation states
  • dcmpsmk — creates a DICOM grayscale softcopy presentation state
  • dcmpsprt — reads DICOM images and presentation states and renders a print job
  • dcmqridx — registers a DICOM image file in an image database index file
  • dcmqrti — Telnet Initiator
  • dcmquant — converts DICOM color images to palette color
  • dcmscale — scales DICOM images
  • dcmsign — signs and verifies DICOM files
  • dcod2lum — converts a hardcopy characteristic curve file to softcopy format
  • dconvlum — converts VeriLUM "CCx_xx.dat" files to DCMTK display files

aliases for common tools 💫

  • convert — changes the encoding of a DICOM file (calls dcmconv)
  • dump — dumps the contents of a DICOM file (calls dcmdump)
  • echo — checks whether a DICOM server is accessible (calls echoscu)
  • find — queries a Q/R or Modality Worklist server (calls findscu)
  • get — downloads from a Q/R server using C-GET (calls getscu)
  • mkdir — creates a DICOMDIR file for storage media (calls dcmmkdir)
  • modify — modifies the contents of a DICOM file (calls dcmodify)
  • move — downloads from a Q/R server using C-MOVE (calls movescu)
  • send — transfers DICOM instances to a Storage server (calls dcmsend)
  • sign — creates and verifies digital signatures (calls dcmsign)
  • toimg — renders a DICOM image to another image format (calls dcm2img)
  • tojson — converts a DICOM file to JSON format (calls dcm2json)
  • toxml — converts a DICOM file to XML format (calls dcm2xml)

🦋 EXAMPLES 🦋

dcmtk dcmdump file.dcm

This calls the dcmdump tool with the parameter 'file.dcm'. Slay.

dcmtk dcmodify -m "PatientName=Doe^John" file.dcm

This calls the dcmodify tool to change the patient’s name in 'file.dcm'. Iconic.

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

Go show these other pages some love too, bestie: dcm2img(1), dcm2json(1), dcm2xml(1), dcmcjpeg(1), dcmcjpls(1), dcmconv(1), dcmcrle(1), dcmdecap(1), dcmdjpeg(1), dcmdjpls(1), dcmdrle(1), dcmdspfn(1), dcmencap(1), dcmftest(1), dcmicmp(1), dcmmkcrv(1), dcmmkdir(1), dcmmklut(1), dcmodify(1), dcmp2pgm(1), dcmprscp(1), dcmprscu(1), dcmpschk(1), dcmpsmk(1), dcmpsprt(1), dcmpsrcv(1), dcmpssnd(1), dcmqridx(1), dcmqrscp(1), dcmqrti(1), dcmquant(1), dcmrecv(1), dcmscale(1), dcmsend(1), dcmsign(1), dcod2lum(1), dconvlum(1), drtdump(1), dsr2html(1), dsr2xml(1), dsrdump(1), dump2dcm(1), echoscu(1), findscu(1), getscu(1), img2dcm(1), json2dcm(1), movescu(1), storescp(1), storescu(1), termscu(1), wlmscpfs(1), xml2dcm(1), xml2dsr(1).

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k bye bestie 🫶 — this page is from OFFIS DCMTK, Version 3.7.1, dated Sat Oct 17 2026 09:34:01.

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