Image File Formats Explained
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
JPEG is the most widely used image format. It uses lossy compression, meaning it discards some image data to reduce file size. You choose the quality level: higher quality = larger file, lower quality = smaller file. JPEG excels at photographs. It handles color gradients, skin tones, and natural scenes efficiently. A 12MP photo at 80% quality is typically 2-5MB, small enough to email and fast enough to display on websites. JPEG does not support transparency. Any transparent areas become white (or another solid color). If you need transparency, use PNG or WebP. Every time you open, edit, and re-save a JPEG, it recompresses and loses additional quality. This is called generation loss. For images you'll edit multiple times, work in a lossless format and only export to JPEG at the end. Quality settings: 60-70% for web thumbnails. 75-85% for general web use. 90-95% for high-quality prints. 100% is not recommended since the file size balloons with minimal visible quality improvement over 95%.
Use for photographs
JPEG handles photographic content (gradients, skin, nature) better than any alternative at the same file size.
Choose quality wisely
80-85% for web. 90-95% for print. Don't re-save multiple times; each save loses quality.
Don't use for transparency
JPEG doesn't support transparency. Use PNG or WebP if you need transparent backgrounds.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
PNG uses lossless compression. Every pixel is preserved exactly as saved. No quality loss, no compression artifacts. The tradeoff: larger file sizes than JPEG for photographs. PNG supports transparency (alpha channel). This makes it essential for logos, icons, product images on transparent backgrounds, and any image that needs to be placed on different colored backgrounds. PNG excels at images with sharp edges, text, solid colors, and flat graphics. Screenshots, UI elements, diagrams, and logos compress well in PNG while looking terrible in JPEG (JPEG creates artifacts around sharp edges). PNG is not ideal for photographs. A 12MP photo saved as PNG may be 15-30MB compared to 3-5MB as JPEG, with no visible quality advantage. Use JPEG for photos and PNG for graphics. PNG-8 supports 256 colors with smaller file sizes. PNG-24 supports 16 million colors. PNG-32 adds an 8-bit alpha channel for transparency. Most modern PNGs are PNG-24 or PNG-32.
Use for transparency
Product images on transparent backgrounds, logos, icons. PNG is the standard for transparency.
Use for graphics and text
Screenshots, diagrams, UI elements, text-heavy images. Sharp edges stay crisp.
Don't use for photographs
Photo PNGs are 5-10x larger than JPEGs with no visible quality improvement. Use JPEG for photos.
WebP
WebP was developed by Google as a modern replacement for both JPEG and PNG on the web. It supports lossy compression (like JPEG), lossless compression (like PNG), and transparency (like PNG) in a single format. WebP files are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent-quality JPEGs and 25-50% smaller than PNGs. This file size reduction improves page load speed, which directly impacts SEO and user experience. Browser support is now universal. All major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) support WebP. This was a barrier in the past but is no longer an issue. Most platforms support WebP: Google, Facebook, Instagram, and most e-commerce platforms. Some legacy platforms and email clients may not. When in doubt, JPEG is the safe fallback. WebP is the recommended format for web use. If your content is primarily displayed online, WebP offers the best quality-to-size ratio available.
Use for web content
Websites, e-commerce, social media. 25-35% smaller than JPEG at the same quality.
Supports transparency
WebP lossy with alpha channel: transparent backgrounds at JPEG-like file sizes.
Check platform support
All browsers support WebP. Some legacy platforms may need JPEG fallback.
HEIF/HEIC (High Efficiency Image Format)
HEIF (and its Apple variant HEIC) is the default photo format on modern iPhones and many Android devices. It uses the HEVC video codec to compress still images, achieving roughly half the file size of JPEG at equivalent quality. HEIF supports: 10-bit color depth (vs JPEG's 8-bit), transparency, image sequences (burst photos, Live Photos), and depth maps. It's technically superior to JPEG in every metric. The limitation is compatibility. Not all software, websites, and platforms support HEIF. Windows requires a codec pack. Many web platforms don't accept HEIF uploads directly. Most phones automatically convert HEIF to JPEG when sharing or emailing. You can also change your phone's camera settings to shoot in JPEG directly if compatibility is a priority. For personal storage, HEIF is excellent: half the file size means more photos fit on your device. For sharing and uploading, convert to JPEG or WebP first.
Keep HEIF for personal storage
Half the size of JPEG with equal or better quality. More photos fit on your phone.
Convert before sharing
Most platforms don't accept HEIF directly. Convert to JPEG or WebP for uploads.
Check phone settings
iPhone: Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible (JPEG) or High Efficiency (HEIF).
RAW Formats (CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG)
RAW files contain the unprocessed sensor data from your camera. They're not technically images. They're data files that need to be processed (developed) into viewable images in software like Lightroom, Capture One, or Photoshop. RAW advantages: maximum editing flexibility. You can change white balance, recover blown highlights, pull detail from deep shadows, and adjust exposure by 2-3 stops without quality loss. This is impossible with JPEG because JPEG has already been processed and compressed. RAW disadvantages: large file sizes (20-80MB per image for modern cameras), requires specialized software to open, can't be uploaded to social media or shared directly. Each camera manufacturer has their own RAW format: Canon (.CR3), Nikon (.NEF), Sony (.ARW), Fuji (.RAF). Adobe DNG (.DNG) is an open standard that converts any RAW to a universal format. Shoot RAW when: color accuracy matters, lighting is challenging, you plan to do significant editing. Shoot JPEG when: speed matters, storage is limited, photos go directly to social media with minimal editing.
Shoot RAW for important photos
Events, portraits, products, challenging lighting. RAW gives maximum editing flexibility.
Process before sharing
RAW must be developed in Lightroom, Photoshop, or similar. Export to JPEG/WebP for sharing.
Consider storage needs
RAW files are 5-15x larger than JPEG. Budget for additional storage.
Other Formats: GIF, TIFF, SVG, AVIF
GIF supports simple animation (up to 256 colors). It's being replaced by video formats for animations but remains used for simple looping graphics and memes. GIF is terrible for photographs (only 256 colors creates severe banding). TIFF is a lossless format used in professional printing and archival storage. Files are very large. Most print shops accept TIFF. Not suitable for web use. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a vector format, not pixel-based. Logos, icons, and illustrations in SVG scale to any size without quality loss. Not suitable for photographs. AVIF is the newest contender, based on the AV1 video codec. It offers 30-50% better compression than WebP while maintaining quality. Browser support is growing but not yet universal. Watch this format in the coming years.
GIF for simple animations only
256 color limit. Use for reaction images and simple loops. Not for photos.
TIFF for print archival
Lossless, large files. Professional printing and long-term archival storage.
SVG for logos and icons
Vector format that scales infinitely. Use for any graphics that need to work at multiple sizes.
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