Do you want to know which picture format works best for you? Saving your images in the right file format for your project will save you from dealing with low-quality images in the long run. Believe it or not, something as simple as a file type can make printing your photos a breeze — or a hassle! In this guide, you can get the best image format and its features.
Image file formats come in more types than you probably need. We talk about the most commonly used file types. These file types are compatible with the miconv.com, so you can always convert them online. Without further ado, let’s see the best picture. File formats and their different characteristics:
The best image file formats for photographers
JPEG
JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and the extension is usually written as .jpg. This most widely used image file format is used to save photos around the world and is usually a standard file format for saving images. of the images you find online are downloaded as .jpg files.
JPEG files come in different quality levels, e.g. B. low, medium and high. Low quality JPEG files are more compressed than high quality versions. You must select a less compressed JPEG option
In general, JPEG images are great for sharing on social media, email, and websites. These files are relatively small and therefore take up less space on memory cards and computer memory. .However, keep in mind that saving images as JPEG files can degrade the quality of that image.
When to use the JPEG image format:
- Complex images with many different colors, e.g. B. Photos
- Compressing high-detail images
- For printing
PNG
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. It is an important file format that is very helpful in photo editing. You can use PNG for fully transparent backgrounds or drop shadow (partial transparency) for the big effects.
This aspect ratio does not compromise quality and detail. of photos, but that means they are usually larger than JPEG files. Therefore, PNGs are best suited for small images such as logos.
When to use the PNG image format:
- Images with transparency
- Small images such as logos
- Online
To preserve the quality of a detailed image as long as you have space for larger files
GIF
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is quite similar to PNG in terms of maintaining image quality. You can also use GIF image files to create short animations for the web. not suitable for all photos. Like PNG, GIF images can be transparent. However, unlike PNG, GIF does not support partial transparency, which means you cannot use it to preserve shadow effects in your photos.
When to use the GIF image format:
- For simple images with few colors, e.g. B. Icons
- For animated images
PSD
PSD stands for Photoshop Document. By default, when you save an image from Adobe Photoshop, the program saves that photo as a PSD file. You can then use this file to later edit each layer you created in Photoshop.
This file format is not suitable for the web or clients because it is not versatile. However, it is one of the best image formats for maintaining your image quality over a long period of time.
You should save your edited images as PSDs, especially if you intend to edit them again in Photoshop to touch up. You must ensure your layers are not merged before saving your PSD file or you will lose some of your editing capabilities. Because it contains so much information on different levels, the size of your PSD files will be quite large. The trade-off, however, is access to the highest quality version of your images for printing.
When to use the PSD image format:
- To save images that you can edit again in the future
- To preserve the quality and detail of the images you want to print
TIFF
TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format and is known as that most widely used file format known by photographers and designers. Images saved as TIFF files are better suited for post-processing since they are not compressed at all.
You can create all kinds of digital images with TIFF files. You can use TIFF with any photo editing software to perfect your photos and you can save them again. TIFF like any other file format. Although TIFF files take up more storage space on your devices, they give you a lot of flexibility.
Many photographers choose to store TIFF files from all their photographers on an external drive. That way they can always go back to it if they need to touch up their photos or re-save them.
When to use the TIFF image format:
- For images you want to save without loss of detail
- For images you need to print
