diff --git a/Tests/test_image_mode.py b/Tests/test_image_mode.py
index 0232a5536..670b2f4eb 100644
--- a/Tests/test_image_mode.py
+++ b/Tests/test_image_mode.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ def test_sanity():
     assert m.bands == ("1",)
     assert m.basemode == "L"
     assert m.basetype == "L"
+    assert m.typestr == "|b1"
 
     for mode in (
         "I;16",
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ def test_sanity():
     assert m.bands == ("R", "G", "B")
     assert m.basemode == "RGB"
     assert m.basetype == "L"
+    assert m.typestr == "|u1"
 
 
 def test_properties():
diff --git a/src/PIL/Image.py b/src/PIL/Image.py
index ef27d6145..2977cfd38 100644
--- a/src/PIL/Image.py
+++ b/src/PIL/Image.py
@@ -208,44 +208,14 @@ if sys.byteorder == "little":
 else:
     _ENDIAN = ">"
 
-_MODE_CONV = {
-    # official modes
-    "1": "|b1",  # Bits need to be extended to bytes
-    "L": "|u1",
-    "LA": "|u1",
-    "I": _ENDIAN + "i4",
-    "F": _ENDIAN + "f4",
-    "P": "|u1",
-    "RGB": "|u1",
-    "RGBX": "|u1",
-    "RGBA": "|u1",
-    "CMYK": "|u1",
-    "YCbCr": "|u1",
-    "LAB": "|u1",  # UNDONE - unsigned |u1i1i1
-    "HSV": "|u1",
-    # I;16 == I;16L, and I;32 == I;32L
-    "I;16": "<u2",
-    "I;16B": ">u2",
-    "I;16L": "<u2",
-    "I;16S": "<i2",
-    "I;16BS": ">i2",
-    "I;16LS": "<i2",
-    "I;32": "<u4",
-    "I;32B": ">u4",
-    "I;32L": "<u4",
-    "I;32S": "<i4",
-    "I;32BS": ">i4",
-    "I;32LS": "<i4",
-}
-
 
 def _conv_type_shape(im):
-    typ = _MODE_CONV[im.mode]
-    extra = len(im.getbands())
-    if extra == 1:
-        return (im.size[1], im.size[0]), typ
-    else:
-        return (im.size[1], im.size[0], extra), typ
+    m = ImageMode.getmode(im.mode)
+    shape = (im.size[1], im.size[0])
+    extra = len(m.bands)
+    if extra != 1:
+        shape += (extra,)
+    return shape, m.typestr
 
 
 MODES = ["1", "CMYK", "F", "HSV", "I", "L", "LAB", "P", "RGB", "RGBA", "RGBX", "YCbCr"]
diff --git a/src/PIL/ImageMode.py b/src/PIL/ImageMode.py
index e6bf0bb10..c76ad3993 100644
--- a/src/PIL/ImageMode.py
+++ b/src/PIL/ImageMode.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 # See the README file for information on usage and redistribution.
 #
 
+from PIL import Image
+
 # mode descriptor cache
 _modes = None
 
@@ -20,11 +22,12 @@ _modes = None
 class ModeDescriptor:
     """Wrapper for mode strings."""
 
-    def __init__(self, mode, bands, basemode, basetype):
+    def __init__(self, mode, bands, basemode, basetype, typestr):
         self.mode = mode
         self.bands = bands
         self.basemode = basemode
         self.basetype = basetype
+        self.typestr = typestr
 
     def __str__(self):
         return self.mode
@@ -36,43 +39,52 @@ def getmode(mode):
     if not _modes:
         # initialize mode cache
         modes = {}
-        for m, (basemode, basetype, bands) in {
+        for m, (basemode, basetype, bands, typestr) in {
             # core modes
-            "1": ("L", "L", ("1",)),
-            "L": ("L", "L", ("L",)),
-            "I": ("L", "I", ("I",)),
-            "F": ("L", "F", ("F",)),
-            "P": ("P", "L", ("P",)),
-            "RGB": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B")),
-            "RGBX": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "X")),
-            "RGBA": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "A")),
-            "CMYK": ("RGB", "L", ("C", "M", "Y", "K")),
-            "YCbCr": ("RGB", "L", ("Y", "Cb", "Cr")),
-            "LAB": ("RGB", "L", ("L", "A", "B")),
-            "HSV": ("RGB", "L", ("H", "S", "V")),
+            # Bits need to be extended to bytes
+            "1": ("L", "L", ("1",), "|b1"),
+            "L": ("L", "L", ("L",), "|u1"),
+            "I": ("L", "I", ("I",), Image._ENDIAN + "i4"),
+            "F": ("L", "F", ("F",), Image._ENDIAN + "f4"),
+            "P": ("P", "L", ("P",), "|u1"),
+            "RGB": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B"), "|u1"),
+            "RGBX": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "X"), "|u1"),
+            "RGBA": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "A"), "|u1"),
+            "CMYK": ("RGB", "L", ("C", "M", "Y", "K"), "|u1"),
+            "YCbCr": ("RGB", "L", ("Y", "Cb", "Cr"), "|u1"),
+            # UNDONE - unsigned |u1i1i1
+            "LAB": ("RGB", "L", ("L", "A", "B"), "|u1"),
+            "HSV": ("RGB", "L", ("H", "S", "V"), "|u1"),
             # extra experimental modes
-            "RGBa": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "a")),
-            "BGR;15": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R")),
-            "BGR;16": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R")),
-            "BGR;24": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R")),
-            "BGR;32": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R")),
-            "LA": ("L", "L", ("L", "A")),
-            "La": ("L", "L", ("L", "a")),
-            "PA": ("RGB", "L", ("P", "A")),
+            "RGBa": ("RGB", "L", ("R", "G", "B", "a"), None),
+            "BGR;15": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R"), None),
+            "BGR;16": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R"), None),
+            "BGR;24": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R"), None),
+            "BGR;32": ("RGB", "L", ("B", "G", "R"), None),
+            "LA": ("L", "L", ("L", "A"), "|u1"),
+            "La": ("L", "L", ("L", "a"), None),
+            "PA": ("RGB", "L", ("P", "A"), "|u1"),
         }.items():
-            modes[m] = ModeDescriptor(m, bands, basemode, basetype)
+            modes[m] = ModeDescriptor(m, bands, basemode, basetype, typestr)
         # mapping modes
-        for i16mode in (
-            "I;16",
-            "I;16S",
-            "I;16L",
-            "I;16LS",
-            "I;16B",
-            "I;16BS",
-            "I;16N",
-            "I;16NS",
-        ):
-            modes[i16mode] = ModeDescriptor(i16mode, ("I",), "L", "L")
+        for i16mode, typestr in {
+            # I;16 == I;16L, and I;32 == I;32L
+            "I;16": "<u2",
+            "I;16S": "<i2",
+            "I;16L": "<u2",
+            "I;16LS": "<i2",
+            "I;16B": ">u2",
+            "I;16BS": ">i2",
+            "I;16N": Image._ENDIAN + "u2",
+            "I;16NS": Image._ENDIAN + "i2",
+            "I;32": "<u4",
+            "I;32B": ">u4",
+            "I;32L": "<u4",
+            "I;32S": "<i4",
+            "I;32BS": ">i4",
+            "I;32LS": "<i4",
+        }.items():
+            modes[i16mode] = ModeDescriptor(i16mode, ("I",), "L", "L", typestr)
         # set global mode cache atomically
         _modes = modes
     return _modes[mode]