JPG vs GIF vs PNG

In this blog I'm going to explain the difference between these three different kind of image formats, explain how they are, and which is the best for desktop publishing.

JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

JPG is an image format used on the web with and extreme power of resolution, over 16 million colors, and they're enormous files in which information which the human eye can't detect is compressed. So large is the file, that you either have to compromise the quality of the image or have a large file. It is not used for letters, line drawings or simple graphics due to its quality which then is loses quality and sharpness. JPG is not reccommended for desktop publishing because the file of the images is too large.

       

                An example of a JPEG image

                                                                    
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

GIF is another image format on the web with not a lot of resolution, only supports 256 colors, and it is perfect for line drawing, black and white images, and small text that is only a few pixels high. It supports animation, and all the animated images, or almost all, are in GIF format. GIF would be good for desktop publishing, but maybe it could have a bit more quality.

  An example of an animation in GIF

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

 PNG is another web based image format, and it is really and improvement of GIF. It lets you compress the file to 5%-25% and it also allows you the control of opacity (the degree of transparency). It doesn't matter how much you save it or re-save it, the quality will stay the same. It doesn't allow animations.

An example of an image in PNG

What is the difference between JPEG, GIF, PNG?


There is a main difference between these formats, they're all very different. JPEG has the most quality of image, but the files are normally very big. GIF has less quality, the files are smaller, and it can support animation on the images. PNG has he same quality as GIF, but it allows you to compress it more witout damaging the quality, and it also allows you to control the opacity.


What do all these formats have in common?


All of these three formats have in common that they are all used in the net.


Which is the most widely used one?


The most widely used format in the Internet is the GIF format because it is used for icons and all the other things mentioned, and so it is the most used on the web.


Which is the best format for...?

Photographs: For photographs, JPEG is undoubtely the best because of the great resolution which will allow the image too seem as if it were real, and with good quality to the last detail.
Drawings: For drawings, the best format is GIF because you certainly don't need a lot of quality, and it will allow you to have a small file with a reasonable quality. 
Animations: For animations, the best format is obvoiusly GIF. Most of the animations on the net are GIF, and it is basically the only format of the three allowing animation, therefore this is the format for animation.
Non degraded quality: The format for non degraded quality is PNG. PNG allows you to save and re-save as much as you want, compress it a lot, and the quality of the image will stay the same, where in the other formats it wouldn't. Definitely the best for non degraded quality.

The difference of quality and file size between the three formats