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Digital File Formats
Most digital cameras are probably preset to provide your images using the JPEG (or JPG) file format. The other formats commonly used on Web pages are GIF and PNG. What are these, and what are their differences?
JPEG
This format was designed by a Web standards committee known as the Joint Photographic Experts Group. Images that are rendered using this format usually carry the “.jpg” file extension. The format is commonly used across the World-Wide Web, but it does have some limitations. For instance, the file compression used often results in the loss of some of the visual quality of the original image. Again, often this loss is not significant, but it could be, in some circumstances. In any case, it is commonly used.
GIF
The Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, was developed by CompuServe (remember CompuServe) in the early days of the World-Wide Web. Although there were legal complications between Unisys, the original patent holder for the compression schema, and CompuServe, the patents have expired and the controversy is moot. Digital images rendered using this format carry the “.gif” file extension. They are easily transported across the Web and, unlike JPEG images, the file compression used does not result in the loss of any visual quality. GIF supports static and animated images.
PNG
The Portable Network Graphic (PNG) file format was developed as an improvement to the GIF format. It is rapidly replacing GIF as the format of choice, so to speak, amongst Web designers and developers. However, the PNG format does not support animated images, as does GIF.
Please note that each of these formats support 256-color, or true color, images but they only support the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color model.
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