Which Graphic Formats For What?
Novell Cool Solutions: Feature
By Jason Jones
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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
If you feel I've missed something, feel free to comment!
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