PNG or Portable Network Graphics files are a lossless image format originally designed to improve upon and replace the gif format. Special Attributes: Can be Animated, Can Save Transparency GIF files are typically small is size and are very portable.Ĭompression: Lossless - compression without loss of quality GIF or Graphics Interchange Format files are widely used for web graphics, because they are limited to only 256 colors, can allow for transparency, and can be animated. Due to BMP being a proprietary format, it is generally recommended to use TIFF files.īest For: High quality scans, archival copies There is no compression or information loss with BMP files which allow images to have very high quality, but also very large file sizes. Special Attributes: Can save transparenciesīMP or Bitmap Image File is a format developed by Microsoft for Windows. Very high-quality images.īest For: High quality prints, professional publications, archival copies TIFF or Tagged Image File Format are lossless images files meaning that they do not need to compress or lose any image quality or information (although there are options for compression), allowing for very high-quality images but also larger file sizes.Ĭompression: Lossless - no compression. The list below outlines some of the more common file types and provides a brief description, how the file is best used, and any special attributes the file may have.

There are numerous image file types out there so it can be hard to know which file type best suits your image needs. Some image types such a TIFF are great for printing while others, like JPG or PNG, are best for web graphics.

List two file formats for pictures