Clicking a snap and choosing a file type to save that snap needs some basic knowledge. As every file type has its own significance. Here I have listed out 5 common file types to save your pictures and also when you should use each one.
JPEG-
JPEG is the standard format for saving a photo file. If you want to share your pictures on social media, then JPEG is the better option. You won’t face any problem reading the format if your picture is saved in JPEG format. Although JPEG is the standard format for saving pictures, there are some disadvantages of using this file type. One such disadvantage is it does not support transparency within images. Even, you may face issues in compression quality.
Note: If your saved JPEG image files have lost or deleted while performing some task, then you can use Hi5 Photo Recovery Software and get back the deleted JPG image files in few easy clicks. Not only JPG files, it also supports a recovery of JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, NEF, CRW, CR2, ARW, and much more file types.
PNG-
If you want to save a picture without losing its quality, then PNG is the best option. Although PNG file type is based on GIF file type, you can use this format for higher bit rate pictures. Moreover, it preserves background transparency while minimizing the sharp edges. You can use this file type for saving images if you want to display an image on the web which needs transparent elements.
Disadvantages of using the PNG format are listed below-
- If you use more PNG on web server, it may result in slower experience
- It is widely used only for transparency purpose
- Site owner may face increased bandwidth costs
TIFF-
Tagged Image File format is the flexible file type as it is supported by all image editing and graphics applications. This file type support CMYK, RGB, Lab, Indexed Color, Grayscale, and other color standards. Like PNG, it can also preserve transparency, but the difference is it includes alpha channels. As it has Photoshop layers, you can edit and rearrange it anytime.
As it has much information, it is quite large in size. Moreover, many social networking sites fail to properly display TIFF images. It is a good option when it comes to archiving images on your PC.
GIF-
GIF file type is required only when you want to have a low-quality web graphics with animation. It is mainly designed to increase transfer speed while sharing images over the internet. It is just for animation, you can’t reproduce.
PSD-
PSD Adobe Photoshop file, you can save a picture created using Adobe Photoshop with .psd extension. It has more advanced layers and effects. But the problem comes when you want to share a PSD image. Because it can be opened only in Adobe ecosystem.
These are some basic file types which you can opt to save an image. But choose the correct format for your Image file, based on the need of that image. If you want to share an image, then JPEG is the best option. To preserve the transparency of images on the web, you must use PNG format. TIFF is the best option for archival purposes and PSD is better when you want to edit a picture later time.
