Common image file formats

Kurzer Name	JPEG	PNG	WebP	SVG	AVIF	GIF	JPEG XL	JPEG 2000	BMP	RAW	TIFF	EPS	HEIF	PICT	PCX	PDF	PSD	TGA	WMF
Beschreibung	JPEG is the most common image format used by digital cameras, it is the most common format for storing and transmitting photographic images on the World Wide Web.	PNG was created to improve GIF image-file format. Removing patent license issues at that time; and removing 256 colors limitation.	WebP is an image file format developed by Google, and supposed to be a new open standard for lossily compressed true color graphics. It's a direct competitor to JPEG.	SVG is an XML based file format. It allows to create vector graphics with animation and interaction support. It can be edited with any text editor.	AV1 Image File Format is a recent image format based on the AV1 video codec and with a wide feature set.	GIF is a bitmap image format that allows a lossless compression by reducing the image to 256 distinct colors. It has been replaced by PNG after fear over patent issues. It is still widely used for animation as it's the only format that supports animation and that is widely supported by browsers.	JPEG XL is the next generation image format, with the ambition to replace the old JPEG format for the long term.	JPEG 2000 is an enhancement of the JPEG standard. It supports transparency, is able to store lossless data. It is also having a better compression level. As it is unsupported by several browsers, it has not been widely used on the Internet.	BMP File Format as been widely used on Windows platform. Although it supports data compression and alpha channels, these features were not widely used as it was not supported by all image editors.	RAW relates to several image file formats since each camera manufacturer has one or several formats (depending on equipments). These files contains the data acquired by sensors almost unprocessed.	TIFF is a file format for storing images losslessly. It is widely supported by image-manipulation applications, by scanning, faxing, word processing, optical character recognition and other applications.	EPS is a file extension for a graphics file format used in vector-based images in Adobe Illustrator. EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. An EPS file can contain text as well as graphics.	High Efficiency Image File Format is a container format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). The format has several variants and supports individual or sequences of images.	PICT is a graphics file format introduced on the original Apple Macintosh computer as its standard metafile format. It allows the interchange of graphics (both bitmapped and vector), and some limited text support, between Mac applications, and was the native graphics format of QuickDraw.	PCX, standing for PiCture eXchange, was the native file format for PC Paintbrush and became one of the first widely accepted DOS imaging standards, although it has since been succeeded by more sophisticated image formats.	PDF is a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it.	PSD is the default image file format used by Adobe Photoshop. It supports layers and transparency.	TGA format is used widely in paint, graphics, and imaging applications that require the storage of image data containing up to 32 bits per pixel. TGA has also become popular in the world of still-video editing.	WMF is an image file format intended to be portable between applications and may contain both vector graphics and bitmap components. It acts in a similar manner to SVG files.
Developed by	Joint Photographic Experts Group	W3C (donated by PNG Development Group)	Google	W3C	Alliance for Open Media (AOM)	CompuServe	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Microsoft	Camera manufacturers	Adobe	Adobe	MPEG	Apple Computer	ZSoft Corporation	Adobe (until 2008) ISO (since 2008)	Adobe	TrueVision, Inc	Microsoft
Year	1992	1996	2010 (lossy) 2011 (lossless/alpha/animation)	2001 (SVG 1.0)	2019	1987 (still) 1989 (animated)	2021	2000	1984 (version 1) 1998 (version 5)	multiple proprietary formats exist	1986 (version 1) 1992 (version 6)	1982	2015	1984	1985 (version 1) 1991 (version 5)	1993 (first version) 2017 (PDF 2.0)	1990 (first version) (not standardized)	1984 (version 1) 1989 (version 2)	1992
Vorteile	Small file size Widely supported format Compatibility Good color range	Widely accepted format Lossless Transparency support	Small file size (Smaller than JPEG with comparable image quality)	Vector graphics: can be resized without quality loss Text-based: can be edited with a text editor	Small file size	Simple animations/short video clips Widely supported format Transparency support Lossless compression Smaller file sizes	Small file size (Smaller than JPEG with comparable image quality) Royalty-free Modern features (HDR, animation...)	Small file size	Fast to encode	Lossless	Lossless High-quality images Compatible with both PCs and Macs Multiple images and multiple pages can be saved in one file	Scalable to any size Lossless Compatibility for vector graphics Ideal for printing/output		Best file format for on-screen display on the Macintosh Best printing format from the Macintosh to a non-PostScript printer	Image information retained Good quality image	Lossless Protects intellectual property Maintains printed format	Lossless Layers support Transparency support	Well-defined, well-documented format in wide use, which is quick and easy to read and decompress	Lossless
Nachteile	Lossy compression Not great for text, simple graphics, or illustrations	Lossless only. Poor compression for photographic images.	Limited to 8-bit. Lossy forces 4:2:0 tv-range YCbCr.	Security issues; can contain executable code (javascript) and non-embedded (URI) resources, so essentially requires a browser for proper viewing. Not intended for print.	Limited support yet	Limited to 256 colors (8-bit per pixel). Only binary transparency.	Not yet enabled by most browsers	Processor intensive	Large file size	Large file size	Large file size Not great for web graphics Minor software compatibility issues	May lose control of advanced vector editing features	Limited support yet Patent-encumbered	Fonts may be represented incorrectly when moved cross-platform QuickTime must be installed to view some PICT files correctly	Large file format PC compatible only and older PCX versions only support 256 colours.	Longer browser loading times Non-editable content Not great for complex graphics printing Not really useful as a graphic image		Lacks a superior compression scheme	Not good for exporting or pasting bar graphs with fill patterns to PowerPoint Support is limited
Eigenschaften
Vector graphics	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	- Can add splines to a raster image	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Ja	Nein	Ja	- Can have text layers and other vector elements	Nein	Ja
Raster image	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja Can have embedded JPEG/PNG	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja
Lossless	Nein	Ja	Ja Lossless and lossy	Ja	Ja Lossless and lossy	Ja	Ja Lossless and lossy	Ja Lossless and lossy	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja Lossless and lossy	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja
Animation support	Nein	- Animated PNG is an extension to the PNG format which is compatible with the Gecko and WebKit layout engines and many image editing suites. Users of software incompatible with APNG see the first frame as a still.	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja ISO/IEC 15444-2	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja
Transparency support	Nein	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	- Only all-or-nothing, no semi-transparency	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Ja	Ja
Layers support	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein	-	Ja	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein
HDR	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Nein		Ja	Nein	Nein
Maximum bit depth	8-bit	16-bit	8-bit	8-bit	12-bit	8-bit (but only 256 different colors)	24-bit integer 32-bit float	38-bit	8-bit	Typically 14-bit	32-bit		8-bit (HEIC) up to 16-bit (HEIX)	8-bit	8-bit		16-bit integer 32-bit float	8-bit
CMYK support (for print)	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Ja	Nein		Nein	Ja	Ja	Nein	Nein
Maximum number of channels	4 (RGB or CMYK)	4 (RGBA)	4 (RGBA)	4 (RGBA)	5 (RGBA+depth)	1 (palette data)	4099 (RGB/CMY + up to 4096 extra channels)	16384	4 (RGBA)	Typically Bayer data (RGBG)	65535			4	4		56	4
Commonly used for	Photography Photographic images electronically and on the web Printing photographs	Icons Simple web graphics like logos Illustrations, or raster text rendering	Images on the web	Scalable graphics		Animation Simple web graphics		JPEG replacement, HD imaging	Image editing	HDR photography, Archiving	Images from scanner HD imaging Working with photographs without image quality loss	Sending vector graphics to print Working with vector/raster graphics across platforms/graphic design programs	Apple iPhone photos	Desktop publishing Paint Imaging applications using QuickDraw calls	with Paintbrush software Mainly in the MS-DOS world. It is mainly an exchange and storage format	Fixed layout flat documents	Image editing	Storage and interchange of deep-pixel images, paint, and image manipulation programs.	used in Microsoft Clip Organizer for illustrations To store line-art, illustrations and content created in drawing or presentation applications.
Browser support (without plugin)
Google Chrome	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja Chrome 85	Ja	- Disabled by default	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	- AVIF	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein
Microsoft Edge	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	- Disabled by default	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein
Safari	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Ja	Ja	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein
Firefox	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja Firefox 92	Ja	- Disabled by default	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein
Opera	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja	Ja Opera 71	Ja	- Disabled by default	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Nein	Ja	Nein	Nein	Nein
Additional
File extensions	.jpg .jpeg .jpe .jif .jfif .jfi	Still: .png; Animated: .png, .apng	.webp	.svg .svgz	.avif .avifs	.gif	.jxl	.jp2 .j2c .j2k .jpx .jpf .j2c .j2k	.bmp .dib	.crw .cr2 .raw .rw2 .nef .nrw .orf ...	.tiff .tif	.eps .epsi .epsf	.heif .heifs	.pct .pict .pic	.pcx	.pdf	.psd .pdd	.tga	.wmf .emf .wmz .emz
Name	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Portable Network Graphics	WebP	Scalable Vector Graphics	AV1 Image File Format (AVIF)	Graphics Interchange Format	JPEG XL	Joint Photographic Experts Group 2000	Windows Bitmap	RAW Image file	Tagged Image File Format	Encapsulated PostScript	High Efficiency Image File Format	Macintosh Picture	Picture Exchange, aka, PC Paintbrush	Portable Document Format (PDF)	Photoshop Document	TrueVision TARGA	Windows Metafile
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