File Format

There are various file formats in which images can be created and/or manipulated in PhotoShop or other image editing software. Below are a few of the more commonly recognized file formats, with explanation of when and why each is best used. For full explanations, please refer to the manual of your photo editing software.

.jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group - JPEG) is the most efficient when saving a file with many colors, such as skin tones. This file format is your best choice with most photographs on the Web. Every time a JPEG image is opened, manipulated, and then saved any unused information about the photo is discarded. This loss of detail results in a smaller file size.
Recommended .jpg image resolution: 96 pixels/inch

.gif (Graphic Interchange Format) is the best choice with illustrations and images of simple color, such as line drawings, some logos or text images.
Recommended .gif image resolution: 72 pixels/inch

.png (Portable Network Graphics) is a common file format used for compressing transparent images. Not all Web browsers display transparent images properly. Avoid using transparent images on your Web site unless you learn more about their use.

.tif (Tagged Image File Format - TIFF) should be used for print design not for Web sites. If you would like to make a print-quality image available to the user, it is preferred that you link a Web-version JPEG to a downloadable TIFF instead of placing the TIFF directly into Web page. In contrast to a JPEG, a TIFF saves all information about the image, regardless of the number of times it is manipulated and re-saved. This results in a larger file size and slower load time.
Recommended .tif image resolution: 200-300 pixels/inch

Page maintained by: Walker Massey, emassey@clemson.edu