The graphic file formats

There are literally hundreds of image file types. The PNG, JPEG, and GIF file formats are most often used to display the most common image types. They are listed as follows, divided by family.

Raster graphics

The following file formats are from the family of raster graphics:

• Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG): This is a compression method; JPEG-compressed images are usually stored in the JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF) file format. JPEG applies lossy compression to images, which can result in a significant reduction of the file size. The amount of compression can be specified, and the amount of compression affects the visual quality of the result. When not too great, the compression does not noticeably detract from the image's quality, but JPEG files suffer generational degradation when repeatedly edited and saved.
• Tagged Image File Format (TIFF): This is a flexible format that normally saves eight bits or 16 bits per color (red, green, and blue) for 24...