Image formats explained
The same photo can differ in file size, quality and the programs that can open it depending on the format you save it in. Here is why each format exists, its trade-offs, and where it is used.
- PNG · 1996a versatile lossless format with transparency support
- JPG · 1992the most widely used lossy format for photos
- WebP · 2010a web format that is smaller than JPG and supports transparency and animation
- AVIF · 2019a next-generation format with the highest compression efficiency available
- GIF · 1987limited to 256 colors, and synonymous with short moving images
- BMP · 1990Windows' basic bitmap that stores pixels as they are, without compression
- ICO · 1985a container format for favicons and Windows icons
- TIFF · 1986a high-quality format used for scans, print and photo archives
- HEIC · 2015the high-efficiency format iPhone photos use by default
- SVG · 2001an XML-based vector format that stays sharp at any size