Uncategories Image Format

Image Format

5:53:00 PM


There are 5 main formats in which to store images. Why would you choose one over another, and what are the differences?

1. TIFF (also known as TIF), file types ending in .tiff

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. TIFF images create very large file sizes. TIFF images are uncompressed and thus contain a lot of detailed image data (which is why the files are so big) TIFFs are also extremely flexible in terms of colour (they can be grayscale, or CMYK for print, or RGB for web) and content (layers, image tags).

TIFF is the most common file type used in photo software (such as Photoshop), as well as page layout software (such as Quark and InDesign), again because a TIFF contains a lot of image data.

TIFF FILE FORMAT. TIFF stands for "Tagged Image File Format" and is a standard in the printing and publishing industry. TIFF files are significantly larger than their JPEG counterparts, and can be either uncompressed or compressed using lossless compression.

2. JPEG (also known as JPG, JFIF), file types ending in .jpg

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, which created this standard for this type of image formatting. JPEG files are images that have been compressed to store a lot of information in a small-size file. Most digital cameras store photos in JPEG format, because then you can take more photos on one camera card than you can with other formats. JPEG-compressed images are usually stored in the JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format) file format

A JPEG is compressed in a way that loses some of the image detail during the compression in order to make the file small (and thus called “lossy” compression).

JPEG files are usually used for photographs on the web, because they create a small file that is easily loaded on a web page and also looks good.

JPG is a file extension for a lossy graphics file. The JPEG file extension is used interchangeably with JPG. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group who created the standard.

JPEG files are bad for line drawings or logos or graphics, as the compression makes them look “bitmappy” (jagged lines instead of straight ones).

3. GIF, file types ending in .gif

GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format. This format compresses images but, as different from JPEG, the compression is lossless (no detail is lost in the compression, but the file can’t be made as small as a JPEG).

GIFs also have an extremely limited colour range suitable for the web but not for printing. This format is never used for photography, because of the limited number of colours. GIFs can also be used for animations.

The Graphics Interchange Format (better known by its acronym GIF / JIF or /ˈɡɪf/ GHIF) is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability.

4. PNG, file types ending in .png

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. It was created as an open format to replace GIF, because the patent for GIF was owned by one company and nobody else wanted to pay licensing fees. It also allows for a full range of colour and better compression.

It’s used almost exclusively for web images, never for print images. For photographs, PNG is not as good as JPEG, because it creates a larger file. But for images with some text, or line art, it’s better, because the images look less “bitmappy.”

Portable Network Graphics (PNG /ˈpɪŋ/) is a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data compression. PNG was created as an improved, non-patented replacement for Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), and is the most used lossless image compression format on the Internet.

When you take a screenshot on your Mac, the resulting image is a PNG–probably because most screenshots are a mix of images and text.

5. Raw image files

Raw image files contain data from a digital camera (usually). The files are called raw because they haven’t been processed and therefore can’t be edited or printed yet. There are a lot of different raw formats–each camera company often has its own proprietary format.

Raw files usually contain a vast amount of data that is uncompressed. Because of this, the size of a raw file is extremely large. Usually they are converted to TIFF before editing and colour-correcting.

Most of this info is courtesy of Wikipedia, which is a great place to read more about all 5 file types.
See this link More Check Image Extension

6. Exif (Exchangeable image file format)

The Exif (Exchangeable image file format) format is a file standard similar to the JFIF format with TIFF extensions; it is incorporated in the JPEG-writing software used in most cameras. Its purpose is to record and to standardize the exchange of images with image metadata between digital cameras and editing and viewing software. The metadata are recorded for individual images and include such things as camera settings, time and date, shutter speed, exposure, image size, compression, name of camera, color information. When images are viewed or edited by image editing software, all of this image information can be displayed.

The actual Exif metadata as such may be carried within different host formats, e.g. TIFF, JFIF (JPEG) or PNG. IFF-META is another example.

7. BMP ()

The BMP file format (Windows bitmap) handles graphic files within the Microsoft Windows OS. Typically, BMP files are uncompressed, and therefore large and lossless; their advantage is their simple structure and wide acceptance in Windows programs.

7. PPM, PGM, PBM, PNM

Netpbm format is a family including the portable pixmap file format (PPM), the portable graymap file format (PGM) and the portable bitmap file format (PBM). These are either pure ASCII files or raw binary files with an ASCII header that provide very basic functionality and serve as a lowest common denominator for converting pixmap, graymap, or bitmap files between different platforms. Several applications refer to them collectively as PNM (Portable aNy Map).

8. WEBP

WebP is a new open image format that uses both lossless and lossy compression. It was designed by Google to reduce image file size to speed up web page loading: its principal purpose is to supersede JPEG as the primary format for photographs on the web. WebP is based on VP8's intra-frame coding and uses a container based on RIFF.

8. HDR raster format

Most typical raster formats cannot store HDR data (32 bit floating point values per pixel component), which is why some relatively old or complex formats are still predominant here, and worth mentioning separately. Newer alternatives are showing up, though. RGBE is the format for HDR images originating from Radiance and also supported by Adobe Photoshop.

9. HEIF

The High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) is an image container format that was standardized by MPEG on the basis of the ISO base media file format. While HEIF can be used with any image compression format, the HEIF standard specifies the storage of HEVC intra-coded images and HEVC-coded image sequences taking advantage of inter-picture prediction.

10. BPG
BPG (Better Portable Graphics) is a new image format. Its purpose is to replace the JPEG image format when quality or file size is an issue. Its main advantages are:
  • High compression ratio. Files are much smaller than JPEG for similar quality.
  • Supported by most Web browsers with a small Javascript decoder (gzipped size: 76 KB).
  • Based on a subset of the HEVC open video compression standard.
  • Supports the same chroma formats as JPEG (grayscale, YCbCr 4:2:0, 4:2:2, 4:4:4) to reduce the losses during the conversion. An alpha channel is supported. The RGB, YCgCo and CMYK color spaces are also supported.
  • Native support of 8 to 14 bits per channel for a higher dynamic range.
  • Lossless compression is supported.
  • Various meta data (such as EXIF) can be included.
Other raster format
  • CD5 (Chasys Draw Image)
  • DEEP (IFF-style format used by TVPaint)
  • ECW (Enhanced Compression Wavelet)
  • FITS (Flexible Image Transport System)
  • FLIF (Free Lossless Image Format) - a work-in-progress lossless image format which claims to outperform PNG, lossless WebP, lossless BPG and lossless JPEG2000 in terms of compression ratio. It uses the MANIAC (Meta-Adaptive Near-zero Integer Arithmetic Coding) entropy encoding algorithm, a variant of the CABAC (context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding) entropy encoding algogithm.
  • ILBM - Interleaved Bitmap, used by Electronic arts
  • ILBM (IFF-style format for up to 32 bit in planar representation, plus optional 64 bit extensions)
  • IMG (ERDAS IMAGINE Image)
  • IMG (Graphical Environment Manager image file; planar, run-length encoded)
  • JPEG XR (New JPEG standard based on Microsoft HD Photo)
  • Layered Image File Format for microscope image processing
  • Nrrd (Nearly raw raster data)
  • PAM (Portable Arbitrary Map) is a late addition to the Netpbm family
  • PCX (Personal Computer eXchange), obsolete
  • PGF (Progressive Graphics File)
  • PLBM - Planar Bitmap, proprietary Amiga format
  • SGI
  • SID (multiresolution seamless image database, MrSID)
  • Sun Raster is an obsolete format
  • TGA (TARGA), obsolete
  • VICAR file format (NASA/JPL image transport format)
11. Container formats of raster graphics editor

These image formats contain various images, layers and objects, out of which the final image is to be composed
  • CPT (Corel Photo Paint)
  • PSD (Adobe PhotoShop Document)
  • PSP (Corel Paint Shop Pro)
  • XCF (experimental Computing Facility format, native GIMP format)
12. Vector format

As opposed to the raster image formats above (where the data describes the characteristics of each individual pixel), vector image formats contain a geometric description which can be rendered smoothly at any desired display size.
At some point, all vector graphics must be rasterized in order to be displayed on digital monitors. Vector images may also be displayed with analog CRT technology such as that used in some electronic test equipment, medical monitors, radar displays, laser shows and early video games. Plotters are printers that use vector data rather than pixel data to draw graphics.

13. CGM

CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile) is a file format for 2D vector graphics, raster graphics, and text, and is defined by ISO/IEC 8632. All graphical elements can be specified in a textual source file that can be compiled into a binary file or one of two text representations. CGM provides a means of graphics data interchange for computer representation of 2D graphical information independent from any particular application, system, platform, or device. It has been adopted to some extent in the areas of technical illustration and professional design, but has largely been superseded by formats such as SVG and DXF.

14. Gerber format (RS-274X)

The Gerber format (aka Extended Gerber, RS-274X) was developed by Gerber Systems Corp., now Ucamco, and is a 2D bi-level image description format. It is the de facto standard format used by printed circuit board or PCB software. It is also widely used in other industries requiring high-precision 2D bi-level images.

15. SVG

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an open standard created and developed by the World Wide Web Consortium to address the need (and attempts of several corporations) for a versatile, scriptable and all-purpose vector format for the web and otherwise. The SVG format does not have a compression scheme of its own, but due to the textual nature of XML, an SVG graphic can be compressed using a program such as gzip. Because of its scripting potential, SVG is a key component in web applications: interactive web pages that look and act like applications.

Other 2D Vector Format
3D Vector Format
  • AMF - Additive Manufacturing File Format
  • Asymptote - A language that lifts TeX to 3D.
  • .blend - Blender
  • COLLADA
  • .dgn
  • .dwf
  • .dwg
  • .dxf
  • eDrawings
  • .flt - OpenFlight
  • HSF
  • IGES
  • IMML - Immersive Media Markup Language
  • IPA
  • JT
  • .MA (Maya ASCII format)
  • .MB (Maya Binary format)
  • .OBJ (Alias|Wavefront file format)
  • OpenGEX - Open Game Engine Exchange
  • PRC
  • STEP
  • SKP
  • STL - A stereolithography format
  • U3D - Universal 3D file format
  • VRML - Virtual Reality Modeling Language
  • XAML
  • XGL
  • XVL
  • xVRML
  • X3D
  • .3D
  • 3DF
  • .3DM
  • .3ds - Autodesk 3D Studio
  • 3DXML
  • X3D - Vector format used in 3D applications from Xara
16. Compound format (See also Metafile)

These are formats containing both pixel and vector data, possible other data, e.g. the interactive features of PDF.
17. Stereo formats


Umesh Patel

Related Posts

Next
« Prev Post
Previous
Next Post »

Thanks for comments.....