Today there are many types of formats. Therefore, when working on your website design, uploading new images to your website or creating designs for social media, you need to know exactly which file format suits your needs.
If you want to know more, in this article we’ll talk about what types of formats exist and when you should use them.
Let’s get started!
What are the different types of files?
JPEG
If you work with images, you have probably seen the JPEG file format at some point in your editing and uploading adventures. It is the most widely used digitally, commonly used in digital cameras and in images that populate the web. It is based on lossy compression, which means that it keeps the information visible to the viewer and removes data that the human eye cannot perceive.
Due to its size, it loads quickly and is compatible with almost any platform. In addition, it can be viewed on any device without having to download a special image viewer.
It is important to keep in mind that every time a file is saved as a JPEG and compressed, the image loses quality and can become pixelated or grainy. Therefore, it is recommended for use in images for web design, digital portfolio and social networks.
PNG
PNG uses a lossless compression algorithm, so it reconstructs the data exactly as the original. Unlike JPEG images, PNGs also support images with transparent backgrounds. So, if you want to get an image without a background, such as a logo or a product, you can save it as a PNG file and use it with different backgrounds.
Please note that this file type is not as light as a JPEG, so it is recommended not to overload your website with PNG images, as it may affect its loading time. Therefore, it can be used for logos, photos on websites and social networks.
GIF
The GIF is also a file type that has conquered the online world with its most popular feature, animation. Although it was almost forgotten for a while, it has recently become very popular again. Its acronym stands for Graphics Interchange Format. The GIF file is a format composed of bitmap images, which means that the graphic is made up of many tiny parts called pixels.
GIF formats are more suitable for storing graphics with few colors such as simple diagrams and logos. On the other hand, being a small file size, it can be used almost anywhere. It is recommended for use in short animations for social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
PDF stands for Portable Document Format, used to display documents in electronic format regardless of the software, hardware or operating system on which it is viewed. Thanks to the reliability of PDF files, you can generate long documents and share them with others without risking losing their original layout.
PDF files can contain many different elements at the same time, such as text, vector images, videos, photos, audio files, etc. They are recommended for use in online forms, documents and print services.
SVG
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), is a little known vector format but very useful for online use because of its flexibility and ability to provide quality graphics. It is used to store and display vectors, which are digital illustrations based on geometric shapes. They are created with vector illustration programs such as Illustrator. It has the advantage of maintaining the highest quality, even when resized.
So, if you are thinking of creating a logo, icons and illustrations, you should make sure to save them as SVG. If you have hired an agency or a designer to create your material, we recommend that you ask them for all designs in SVG format, as well as in other relevant image formats (PNG, JPEG, etc.). It is recommended for use in graphics for your website and illustrated corporate material.
EPS
The EPS file format is an acronym for Encapsulated PostScript, which can contain graphics, illustrations or text files. EPS files contain PostScript-formatted image data, which facilitates scaling of high-resolution images without loss of quality and can include text data and bitmap images. They are recommended for use in vector graphics for advertising and poster printing.
MP4
MP4 is a multimedia container format that can contain videos, audio, subtitles and images. And it is also a streaming format that can be broadcast over the Internet. Thanks to its compression format, the end result will be a very lightweight file that can be easily uploaded to a website or social networks.
In short, it is the best option for creating or saving video files on your website, social networks (Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
TIFF
A TIFF file, which stands for Tag Image File Format, is a computer file used to store image information and raster graphics. This file type maintains its resolution and quality. Therefore, it is useful for archiving images before editing or printing high-resolution images and graphics, but it is also a very heavy format.
TIFFs are not the lightest files available, but they allow the user to tag additional information and data on the images. They are also compatible with editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop. It is recommended for editing or printing files.
PSD
The PSD file is a native Adobe Photoshop file type. It allows saving all presentations, retouching and new creations made with this program. Commonly used by designers, this type of format can store multiple images, layers, filters and data, which makes it a tool when editing images.
However, being part of Adobe Photoshop, it is only possible to access this type of files through the program. Its use is recommended for work files for graphics.
Conclusion
Now that you know the different types of formats, you can create your graphic content or find a design agency and make sure that the ideal formats are used based on your needs.
If you need help with creating images for your website, creating a logo, etc. Don’t hesitate to contact us! We will be happy to help you design something truly amazing.