Top Image Formats That You Can Use Today!

Today there are more than a dozen different image format types which can make it confusing for you when it comes to choosing the best one. Selecting the right format for your visual content is not an easy job. This is why in this article, we are going to list out all the commonly used formats today. Not only are you going to find the details of these formats but also their pros and cons. So before selecting any image format without information about it, we would suggest you read this post.

As we have told you earlier, there are tons of image formats that are available to you, but in this article, we are going to list only the most commonly used ones.

JPEG or JPG

The most commonly used format, the one that we want you to know about, is JPG. This file format is the one that is majorly being used on the web, and this is because of its small size and universal compatibility. You can see JPG or JPEG on not only websites but also on social media platforms. JPG can be used on any website you want because it is compressed. On websites, jpg images are preferred because they can help you improve your page speed. Other file formats are heavy and can lower the speed of your site, which is why you need to use JPG.

The pro of this format is that it can be viewed on every browser. Not only is it universally compatible with every browser but also for every operating system. The size of this format is also small as compared to others. The only con of jpeg is that it sometimes leads to poor quality, especially when the image has text in it. JPEG should be used in blog posts and in product images; you must avoid using it in infographics.

PNG

PNG, which is also known as portable network graphics, is another commonly used format. This raster graphics format is all about quality. If you want your images to be of decent size and of good quality, then you need to get this one. The best uses of this format are in banners, screenshots, and even infographics. In png, the visual and textual content would be displayed in good quality.

The pros of this format include high quality and clear visibility. The con of this image format is that its large size can be a reason behind the slow loading speed of your website. PNG can also be used on all major browsers and operating systems.

GIF

GIF is another commonly used image format that is quite different from others in this league. This image format is popular because it is used for displaying animated content. If you want to keep the size of animated images low, then GIF is the perfect format for you. It is both small and web-friendly, so you should definitely try it out.

The GIF format is low in size and supports animated content which makes it most famous. The only known con of this image format is that it has an 8-bit limitation; this limitation affects image quality.

BIT Map

Bit Map, which is also known as BMP, is another image format that has been used majorly in the past. BMP files are famous because you can personalize every pixel of the image. Mapping all pixels of the image individually is the USP of this image format. In the past, people used to change PDF to bitmap just because of the details. But a major con of this image format is that it can become extremely large. Sometimes it can be quite impractical to handle the size of bitmap images which is a big con of this format. Today people prefer formats like gif and png over BMP because of the size issue. BMP is supported by almost every browser and OS.

SVG

This is another format in which images are usually saved. Scalable vector graphics which is also known as SVG, is a markup language. High-quality visual content like logos and app icons are created in this format. This is because there is no kind of loss in this format.

 It is best for illustrations and shapes, but at the same time, you should know that it is not an ideal format if you want to make complex drawings. Basic image editor tools don’t support this format, so you would need advanced utilities to manipulate SVG images.

PDF

PDF isn’t just a format that is used for storing, saving, and securing documents, but you must know that PDF can also be used as an image format. PDF format works on the same principle as the EPS vector format. This image format is basically used when you have to print out your saved images. If you want to print eBook images or magazine covers, then it is important that you save them in PDF. You can save any image format to PDF by using online converter tools.

PDF is the best option if you want lossless scalability and in-depth information in images. The best thing about PDF images is that they include CTAs. You can use PDF images on all sorts of browsers and OS.

HEIF

HEIF, which is also known as the high efficient image file format, is the format that is basically developed by the MPEG video format. This format is basically a competitor to the JPEG and is known to be best for its quality. Now the con of it is that you cannot scale up the image in this format.

HEIF surely provides great quality with respect to the file size ratio, but you must know that there is no browser and OS support for this format. It is only supported on iOS devices that have a high-quality display.

These are some of the common image formats that you can pick from. If you already have images in certain formats like png and jpg, then you can also convert the available image into your desired format by using digital converter tools. There are dozens of sites and apps that can provide you with different image converter and editor tools for free!