What are the most common image formats and their uses?

What are the most common image formats and their uses?

The most common image formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. JPEG is widely used for photographs due to its compression, while PNG is great for images with transparency. GIF is popular for animations, BMP is a simple format with no compression, and TIFF is often used in professional photography.

Can you explain the differences between JPEG and PNG?

Sure! JPEG is a lossy format, meaning it compresses images by removing some data, which can reduce quality. It's ideal for photographs. PNG, on the other hand, is lossless, preserving all image data and supporting transparency, making it suitable for graphics and images that require high quality.

What about GIFs? Are they still relevant?

Yes, GIFs are still relevant, especially for short animations and memes. They support only 256 colors, which limits their use for high-quality images, but their ability to loop animations makes them popular on social media.

What format should I use for web images?

For web images, JPEG is great for photos due to its smaller file size, while PNG is better for graphics and images needing transparency. WebP is also a good option as it provides high quality with smaller file sizes.