Image File Formats

Image File Formats Description Lossless Lossy Extent of Web Loading Situational Uses

Compression Time
Compression Compression

BMP-windows Bitmap Raster Image √   Good Speedy Windows, Os2

Compression Applications

EPS-Encapsulated Vector image   √ Good Speedy Producing vector

Postscript Compression logos

Web Image

GIF-Graphics Interchange Vector Image √ <256 colours √ >256 colours Good Speedy Video Screen

Format Compression

JPG-Joint Photographic Vector Image   √ Good Speedy Web

Expert Group Compression

Digital Camera

PCT-Macintosh Picture Raster Image or Vector Image supported by Raster Vector Good Speedy In Macintosh

Macintosh Operating Systems Compression applications

Image File Lossless Lossy Extent of Web Loading
Description Situational Uses
Formats Compression Compression Compression Time

PCX-PC Vector Image   √ Poor Compression Longer-not Fax Machine/Scanners

Paintbrush suitable for web

Paintbrush Software

PDF-Portable Typically, this is a Vector Image, but it can be a √ √     Print files

Document Raster Image

Web Documents
Format

PNG-Portable Raster Image √   Good Compression Speedy `Web

Network

Graphics

PSD-Photoshop Raster Image √   Poor Compression Longer-not In certain applications

Document suitable for web

Not useful for web

TDA-Truevision Raster Image √       TrueVision digitising board

Targa
Image File Description Lossless Lossy Extent of Web Situational Uses

Formats Compression Loading

Compression Compression
Time

TIF- Raster or √   Poor Longer- Fax

Tagged Vector Image Compression not Machine/Scanners

Image File suitable

  Digital Camera
Format for web

Windows Vector Image   √    

Metafile
 References
• Chron. (2019, January 16). How to convert PSD to vector images. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/convert-psd-vector-
graphics46231.html

• Grapher Help. (n.d.). Truevision targa. TGA file description. Retrieved from
http://grapherhelp.goldensoftware.com/subsys/subsys_targa_tga_file_descr.htm

• Lundquist, S. (2019). Image file formats: when to use each file. Retrieved from https://99designs.com/blog/tips/image-file-types/

• Safe Software. (n.d.). Tagged image file format (reader/writer). Retrieved from
https://docs.safe.com/fme/html/FME_Desktop_Documentation/FME_ReadersWriters/tiff/tiff.htm#:~:text=TIFF%20files%20can%20be%20raster,a
%20single%20FME%20raster%20feature.

• University of Western Australia. (n.d.a). Image acquisition and image analysis. Retrieved from
https://www.iaaf.uwa.edu.au/imagetypeshortversion.html

• University of Western Australia. (n.d.b). Image file formats. Retrieved from https://www.iaaf.uwa.edu.au/imagetype.html

• Visual Integrity. (n.d.). Download free windows metafile viewer. Retrieved from https://visual-integrity.com/products/free-metafile-viewer/

• Wake Forest University. (n.d.). Digital image file types explained. Retrieved from https://matthews.sites.wfu.edu/misc/graphics/formats/formats.html