What are the differences between JPEG, PNG, and GIF image formats?

What are the differences between JPEG, PNG, and GIF image formats?

JPEG is great for photos and supports millions of colors but loses some quality when compressed. PNG is lossless, ideal for images with transparency, while GIF is best for simple animations but limited to 256 colors.

When should I use PNG instead of JPEG?

Use PNG when you need high-quality images with transparency or when you want to avoid any loss of detail, like logos or graphics.

Are there any downsides to using GIF?

Yes, GIFs have a limited color palette of 256 colors, which can lead to lower quality for detailed images. They're also larger in file size for animations.

Can you convert a JPEG to PNG without losing quality?

Yes, converting a JPEG to PNG can be done without losing quality, but the original JPEG's quality loss will remain.

What format should I use for web images?

For web images, use JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency, and GIF for simple animations.