Saving and Exporting Files > About export file formats > About Web formats |
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About Web formats
GIF, JPEG, and PNG graphic file formats are commonly used for the Web because they can be highly compressed for faster transfer across the Internet and because they are supported by most browsers. (Note that the GIF and JPEG formats are more widely supported than the PNG format.)
You choose a Web image file format based on the color and graphic qualities of the original image, as outlined in the table below. When preparing graphics for the Web, remember to preview the compressed images in a browser to ensure that images will appear as intended.
Feature |
GIF |
JPEG |
PNG |
Color depth |
8-bit maximum |
Up to 24-bit |
Up to 32-bit |
Compression |
Lossless; compresses solid areas of color |
Lossy; compresses subtle color transitions |
Lossless |
Transparency support |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Advantages |
Lossless compression Transparency |
Ability to control quality loss in compression Excellent compression of photographic images |
Lossless compression Alpha transparency High-color support |
Disadvantages |
Maximum of 256 colors Does not compress gradient colors well |
No transparency Loss of quality when compressed |
Not completely supported by common browsers without using plug-ins |
Typical uses |
Cartoon images Logos Animated banners |
Scanned photographs Images with complex textures Images with complex radiant colors |
Images with high numbers of colors Complex, live transparency |
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