Image FIle Types

There are many different image file formats that are in use today but a couple formats are mainly
used in Web Design. The main file types are JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIF.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group, name for who developed it). It use lossy compression to make
the file size smaller which can result in the image not looking as good on your web page. But this
is a trade off because the smaller file size will load faster for the user.

PNG (Portable Networks Graphics) uses lossless compression which results in a better looking web
graphic but also an increased file size. PNG graphics also have an Alpha feature to the so you can
remove the background of your image.

A TIF image uses lossless compression and is considered ideal for commercial work. These files tend
to be large but with great image results.

GIF images uses lossless compression so you will have smaller file sizes but not as good image
quality results. These files are typically not good for printing due to their low quality.

Deciding what file type you should use for your website can be challenging at times. Remember you
want to have good looking images that dont take a long time to download.