#Best image format for web pages software#
#Best image format for web pages professional#

When file type extensions had a three-character limit, these files were called JPG files. Joint Photographic Experts Group developed JPEG files, hence the name. Each file format comes with unique benefits, limitations, and best use scenarios.

Now that you know you’ll need raster images for most online uses, you’re probably asking: “Which image file type is best?” There’s no “right” answer. Learn more about the differences between vector and raster files in our quick overview. The battle you face with raster images is straightforward: How do you maximize the quality of the image, or increase the number of pixels, without making the file size too large to use online? Curves become jagged the more you zoom in on an image. If you zoom in on a raster image, you’ll see the pixels. The more pixels in a file, the smoother and more higher-quality it is.

#Best image format for web pages professional#

That professional headshot on your website? It’s a raster image. That sunset shot you uploaded to your portfolio? It’s a raster image. Pixels are the smallest addressable square components of the file that are combined to create two-dimensional images. Raster images contain bitmaps that contain maps of pixels. Raster Images Image via Monika Hunackova. Most vector file formats aren’t compatible with standard web applications. Regardless of the scalability of vector images, most images online are raster images. Vector images can be scaled up endlessly but still render and print crisply. Using mathematical equations to produce images will keep file sizes small.

#Best image format for web pages software#

Specialized graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator produces vector paths and images. Vector images are composed of paths and curves dictated by mathematical formulas.

You’ve probably heard of PNGs and JPGs before, but there are a few more you might be missing.īefore you decide what file format works best for your current project, learn what types of files can reduce image size while retaining high-quality online.īefore we delve into specific file formats, let’s differentiate between the two most common types of image files - vector images and raster images. The file format you select for an image will dictate the overall quality, the size of the image file, and the context in which you can use the image. Some formats retain quality no matter how many times we duplicate the image, while we can save other formats on a transparent background for ease of use. However, choosing the best image format for the web becomes more complicated with each passing year.Įvery file type stores information about an image in a different way. We know you have a better grasp on file formats than Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald. What image file types retain quality online without a large file size? Discover the best image formats for the web, no matter how you’re using them.