Images
Four most common graphic files on the web
- GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) was the first image format for the web. GIF files can have up to 256 colors per image and can contain multiple frames and transparency. That means that GIF files can contain simple animations.
- JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a file format designed to store high-resolution photographic images and display them attractively on screen. JPEG images can use millions of colors per file and use an efficient though lossy compression algorithm to reduce file size. JPEG does not support transparency.
- PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files support millions of colors like JPGs but also support transparency like GIFs. When you create a PNG image, you can designate areas to be transparent. This example shows a PNG on a light blue background.
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a newer file format designed to store resolution-independent images created in drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator. SVG images can be enlarged without degradation. That makes SVG ideal for logos and other drawn images. SVG also supports transparency.