Abstract: A system for distributing images creates a self-sufficient, self-consistent medical imaging and other medical information transfer file that contains image files and corresponding data sets that are bundled with an image viewer application. The medical image and data transfer file is prepared using object serialization and contains a deserialization application. The transfer file is created at an origination location and transmitted to a destination device as a packaged file over a computer network. The destination device receives the packaged file from the origination location and executes the viewer application with the image files and the data sets by opening the packaged file alone, without the need to run any other imaging/viewer application at the destination device. The viewer application has image viewing panes, an annotation tool, and image manipulation tools.