gif, jpg, png and svg
JPG JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group JPEGs are great for photos or very complex images with a lot of color and detail. JPEG compression works best on complex, realistic images. JPEG compression is great for making large images much smaller without a lot of degradation. If you set the compression too high, you can make the images look smeared or pixelated. Like all things, balance is required when compressing images to the JPEG format. Best for: photographs or large images; instances where large amounts of compression are needed to reduce file size |
GIF
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It was created by CompuServe way back in 1987 as a way to make images smaller for the then fledgling online service. GIFs are limited in their color space and are not really great at full color image reproduction, but they are useful for a few important things: animation, very low file size, transparency, and accurate color. Best for: animated GIFs, when transparency is needed, images with very few colors like vectors and logos, and instances where color accuracy is paramount |
PNG
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. It is a relative latecomer to the image compression party, but offers lossless compression, meaning that it reduces file size without removing precious data. PNGs are often larger in file size, but offer greater color accuracy and transparency (like GIFs). PNGS also offer antialiasing for smoother text and images. One drawback of the PNG format is that it is not recognized or handled correctly by some browsers, namely Microsoft Internet Explorer. Best for: instances where quality is more important than file size or where transparency is needed; also great on large blocks of color/vectors. |
SVG SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It is an XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation. The SVG specification is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999. SVG images and their behaviors are defined in XML text files. This means that they can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed. As XML files, SVG images can be created and edited with any text editor, but are more often created with drawing software. Best for: animation, line-drawings, shapes. Anytime a vector image is called for. |
|