What is the difference between JPEG, TIFF, GIF, etc.?
Although digital photo users are primarily concerned with JPEG and TIFF formats, we also get questions about other bitmap file formats. The tables below compare several bitmap file formats. GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) Best Use Properties Pros & Cons Type: Low-resolution graphics with flat, solid areas of color (e.g. logos, illustrations, screen shots). Purpose: Web, Powerpoint, CD-ROM, and other documents intended for viewing on a computer. Colors: 8-bit (images can have up to 256 colors) Encoding scheme: Lossless (however, you will lose quality with most color photographs due to the GIF’s reduced color palette).* This format allows you to create transparent, interlaced, and animated graphics for the Web.** This format is not good for photographic images due to its reduced number of colors. *The encoding scheme of a digital image is considered lossless if the image retains the original pixel-by-pixel data when it is saved and re-opened. **All web graphics are rectangular. However
