Garmin IMG
Price before paymentGarmin IMG is the navigation map format for Garmin GPS devices (eTrex, Oregon, Drive). The .img is compiled with the mkgmap OSM-to-IMG toolchain bundled in the worker image. The resulting gmapsupp.img goes onto the device: copy it to the Garmin folder on the memory card or in the device memory (older units require the name gmapsupp.img). On a computer you can view the map in QMapShack or GPSMapEdit; Garmin BaseCamp does not open the file from disk.
OpenStreetMap data as of 26 October 2026 · 19 days ago
Key Features
About Garmin IMG Format
IMG is the format of the vector maps Garmin installs on its devices: eTrex, Oregon, GPSMAP, Edge bike computers, automotive Drive units. It is not a picture but a map with a road graph, so the device will plan a route on it, find an address and warn you about turns — with no internet.
The export is for when the stock map is not enough: in your region the manufacturer only provides rivers and highways, and you need hiking trails, recent development or a district that simply is not in the catalog. OpenStreetMap is updated by the community daily, and a map built from it is often more detailed than the factory one.
On export the selected layers are converted into OSM data and compiled by the mkgmap program — the standard Garmin map building tool the whole community uses. The output is a single gmapsupp.img file with routing, a search index and points of interest; labels are written in UTF-8.
If the server-side build is unavailable for some reason, the export will honestly report an error rather than hand you a file the device will not accept.
What Program Opens Garmin IMG Files
The following programs and applications can open, edit, and work with Garmin IMG (.img) files exported from OSM2CDR:
Format specifications
- Proprietary format
- 2D only
- Lossless (no quality loss)
- Stores feature attributes
- Output: 1 file
- Garmin .img (proprietary). For Garmin GPS handhelds. Generated via mkgmap; Beta status — may fall back to GPX.
Who Uses Garmin IMG Maps
How to Export Garmin IMG
How to Open After Export
- The device directly — connect the Garmin over USB and copy the file into the Garmin folder on the unit or on the microSD under the name gmapsupp.img; after a restart, enable the map in the map settings.
- GPSMapEdit — another way to view the .img on a computer: you see the layers, roads and points of interest before writing it to the device.
- QMapShack (free) — opens .img on a computer: a convenient way to check the contents before writing it to the device.
- Be careful with the file name — if the Garmin folder already contains a gmapsupp.img, it will be overwritten: rename the old one (for example to gmapsupp1.img — many models read several) or merge the maps.
Get Garmin IMG map exports
Download professional Garmin IMG maps from OpenStreetMap. Any area, with the price shown before payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Garmin IMG guides and tutorials
Related Formats
Frequently Exported Together
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