dcmtk(1) OFFIS DCMTK dcmtk(1) # [NAME](#NAME) dcmtk - Execute dcmtk command line tool # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` dcmtk [options] tool [tool-parameters-and-options] ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) The **dcmtk** tool 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. The **dcmtk** tool will look 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. # [PARAMETERS](#PARAMETERS) ``` tool the DCMTK command line tool to call (see list below) ``` # [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS) ## [general 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](#TOOLS) ## [conversion tools](#conversion_tools) ``` dcm2img - Convert DICOM image to standard image format dcm2json - Convert DICOM file and data set to JSON dcm2xml - Convert DICOM file and data set to XML dcmconv - Convert DICOM file encoding dcmdecap - Extract file from DICOM encapsulated storage dcmdump - Dump DICOM file and data set dcmencap - Encapsulate document into DICOM format dcmodify - Modify DICOM files dcmp2pgm - Read DICOM image and presentation state and render bitmap drtdump - Dump DICOM RT file and data set dsr2html - Render DICOM SR file and data set to HTML/XHTML dsr2xml - Convert DICOM SR file and data set to XML dsrdump - Dump DICOM SR file and data set dump2dcm - Convert ASCII dump to DICOM file img2dcm - Convert standard image formats into DICOM format json2dcm - Convert JSON document to DICOM file or data set xml2dcm - Convert XML document to DICOM file or data set xml2dsr - Convert XML document to DICOM SR file ``` ## [compression tools](#compression_tools) ``` dcmcjpeg - Encode DICOM file to JPEG transfer syntax dcmcjpls - Encode DICOM file to JPEG-LS transfer syntax dcmcrle - Encode DICOM file to RLE transfer syntax dcmdjpeg - Decode JPEG-compressed DICOM file dcmdjpls - Decode JPEG-LS compressed DICOM file dcmdrle - Decode RLE-compressed DICOM file ``` ## [network tools](#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](#miscellaneous_tools) ``` dcmdspfn - Export standard display curves to a text file dcmftest - Test if file uses DICOM part 10 format dcmicmp - Compare DICOM images and compute difference metrics dcmmkcrv - Add 2D curve data to image dcmmkdir - Create a DICOMDIR file dcmmklut - Create DICOM look-up tables dcmpschk - Checking tool for presentation states dcmpsmk - Create DICOM grayscale softcopy presentation state dcmpsprt - Read DICOM images and presentation states and render print job dcmqridx - Register a DICOM image file in an image database index file dcmqrti - Telnet Initiator dcmquant - Convert DICOM color images to palette color dcmscale - Scale DICOM images dcmsign - Sign and Verify DICOM Files dcod2lum - Convert hardcopy characteristic curve file to softcopy format dconvlum - Convert VeriLUM 'CCx_xx.dat' files to DCMTK display files ``` ## [aliases for common tools](#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](#EXAMPLES) ``` dcmtk dcmdump file.dcm ``` Calls the **dcmdump** tool with the parameter 'file.dcm'. ``` dcmtk dcmodify -m 'PatientName=Doe^John' file.dcm ``` Calls the **dcmodify** tool to change the patient's name in 'file.dcm'. # [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO) **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)** # [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT) Copyright (C) 2025-2026 by OFFIS e.V., Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany. Thu Oct 15 2026 Version 3.7.1 --- Document: dcmtk(1) from dcmtk 3.7.1-r0 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk