What File Format Encodings Are Used for Pictures on a Computer?

There are four common formats for pictures on a computer: TIFF, JPG, PNG and GIF files. Each file format is best for a specific type of picture.

TIFF Files

• TIFF files are uncompressed image files with a large file size. Because of this, they are not commonly used for pictures on the Internet.

JPG Files

• JPG files are perhaps the most common type of picture format on computers and the Internet. They are used for photographs as well as colorful graphics because they provide good color at a relatively small size.

PNG Files

• Like JPG files, PNG files are good for photographs and graphics at smaller sizes. The PNG format is a newer type of file.

GIF Files

• GIF files support less colors than JPG and PNG files, but they do support animations. GIF files are usually small (less than 50 pixels by 50 pixels) graphics or animations in black and white or color.