Graphics File Formats
Graphics
Graphics File Formats
- .PSD -- Native Adobe PhotoShop format. Stores 24 bit color or fewer
images. Doesn't loose data, but uses compression for smaller file sizes
than BMP.
- .TIF -- The Image Format. Stores 24 bit or 4 bit
black and white images. Uses LZW compression, which shrinks file size,
but many progams do not understand LZW compression. The favored format
of freshly-scanned images, but very big files. There are about a dozen
sub-formats of TIFF images, which means you may often find a sub-format
that you cannot open.
- .BMP -- Bitmap Format. Very large. Stores 24 or
8 bit color images. Native format for Windows. When you paste into a
PowerPoint or Word document in Windows, it is stored as a Bitmap file
within the master document. No compression involved. Does not lose data
- .GIF -- Graphics Interchange Format. Stores 8 bit
or fewer color images. Best for cartoon and text images.
- .JPG -- Joint Photographic Experts Group format.
Stores 24 bit color images. Loses data, so best used as a final format,
and not an intermediate step. Each saving of a JPEG image results in
information being lost. JPEG is best format for pictures -- worst for
reading fine text or linework.
