Which Graphic Formats For What?

Novell Cool Solutions: Feature
By Jason Jones

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 20 Apr 2005

When you try to save something in The Gimp, it gives you quite a few options as to what format you'd like to save it in.


(and what you see in the image above isn't even 1/4 of the available formats.)

With so many graphic formats being available, I thought I'd explain the differences between the main formats, and what they should be used for.

• JPG or JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group format
• This is probably the most widely used format on the Internet today - (rivaling GIF)
• It can display up to millions of colors
• Has variable compression levels which alter the image to make it smaller / bigger and makes the image quality less or more
• Is best used with medium to large images with lots of colors and detail, like digital photographs
• It cannot display any transparent pixels
• Scales very well. Image size can be easily adjusted
• Does *not* support layers
• GIF - Graphics Interchange Format
• Rivals JPEG for the "most popular image format on the Internet" award
• Can only display up to 256 colors
• Has certain patent issues making it incompatible with free software - read more
• Can handle completely transparent pixels just fine, but no alpha blending
• Creates artifacts when scaled
• Can achieve very small file sizes when used by small images, like icons, with few colors
• Great for website small detail images
• Does *not* support layers
• PNG - Portable Network Graphics format
• Built as a patent-free successor to the GIF format.
• Can be used anywhere completely free of charge or worry of being sued.
• Can display as many colors as JPEG - up to millions.
• Can compress images without losing any quality at all - (file size is *much* larger than JPEG in these cases)
• Can handle transparent pixels
• Can handle semi-transparent pixels or alpha blending
• Does *not* support layers
• PSD - Photo Shop Document format
• Native format of Adobe Photoshop
• Can handle up to millions of colors
• Supports layering
• Can't be displayed through a web browser
• Generally large filesizes
• XCF - Experimental Computing Facility format
• Native file format of The Gimp
• Supports up to millions of colors
• Uses XML to store information
• The only format that is guaranteed to save all the image information in The Gimp
• Supports layering
• Can't be displayed through a web browser
• Generally large files, but smaller than a PSD
• Great format to use to backup your work in The Gimp

There are more details for each format than I have mentioned, but those are the basics.

If you feel I've missed something, feel free to comment!

Reader Comments

• That is interesting about the GIF patent. I thought it was expired but didn't know it was different in different places.

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