Image file format: Difference between revisions

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{{About|digital image formats used to store photographic and other images|disk-image file formats|Disk image|digital file formats in general|File format|introductory information on Wikipedia's use of images|Wikipedia:Images}}

{{Redir|Image format|the camera sensor format|Image sensor format}}

{{Original research|date=August 2025}}

An '''image file format''' is a [[file format]] for a digital image. There are many formats that can be used, such as [[JPEG]], [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]], and [[GIF]]. Most formats up until 2022 were for storing 2D images, not 3D ones. The data stored in an image file format may be compressed or uncompressed. If the data is compressed, it may be done so using [[lossy compression]] or [[lossless compression]]. For graphic design applications, [[vector graphics|vector]] formats are often used. Some image file formats support [[Transparency (graphic)|transparency]].

Raster formats are for [[2D image]]s. A 3D image can be represented within a 2D format, as in a [[stereoscopy|stereogram]] or [[autostereogram]], but this 3D image will not be a true [[light field]], and thereby may cause the [[vergence-accommodation conflict]].

Image [[Computer file|files]] are composed of digital data in one of these formats so that the data can be displayed on a digital (computer) display or printed out using a printer. A common method for displaying digital image information has historically been [[Raster graphics|rasterization]].

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== Image file compression ==

There are two types of '''[[image file compression]]''' algorithms: [[Lossless data compression|lossless]] and [[Lossy compression|lossy]].

'''Lossless compression''' algorithms reduce file size while preserving a perfect copy of the original uncompressed image. Lossless compression generally, but not always, results in larger files than lossy compression. Lossless compression should be used to avoid accumulating stages of re-compression when editing images.

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===== GIF =====

The '''GIF''' ([[Graphics Interchange Format]]) is in normal use limited to an 8-bit palette, or 256 colors (while 24-bit color depth is technically possible).<ref name=aminet>{{cite web|url=http://uk.aminet.net/docs/misc/GIF24.readme |title=GIF 24 Bit (truecolor) extensions |author=Andreas Kleinert |year=2007 |access-date=23 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316215949/http://uk.aminet.net/docs/misc/GIF24.readme |archive-date=16 March 2012 }}</ref><ref name=philhoward>{{cite web|url=http://phil.ipal.org/tc.html |title=True-Color GIF Example |author=Philip Howard |access-date=23 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222123613/http://phil.ipal.org/tc.html |archive-date=22 February 2015 }}</ref> GIF is most suitable for storing graphics with few colors, such as simple diagrams, shapes, logos, and cartoon-style images, as it uses [[Lempel–Ziv–Welch|LZW]] lossless compression, which is more effective when large areas have a single color and less effective for photographic or [[dither]]ed images. Due to GIF's simplicity and age, it achieved almost universal software support. Due to its animation capabilities, it is still widely used to provide image animation effects, despite its low compression ratio compared to modern video formats.

===== PNG =====

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Compared to JPEG, PNG excels when the image has large, uniformly colored areas. Even for photographs – where JPEG is often the choice for final distribution since its lossy compression typically yields smaller file sizes – PNG is still well-suited to storing images during the editing process because of its lossless compression.

PNG provides a patent-free replacement for GIF (though GIF is itself now patent-free) and can also replace many common uses of TIFF. Indexed-color, grayscale, and truecolor images are supported, plus an optional alpha channel. The [[Adam7 algorithm|Adam7]] interlacing allows an early preview, even when only a small percentage of the image data has been transmitted—useful in online viewing applications like [[web browser]]s. PNG can store gamma and chromaticity data, as well as [[ICC profile]]s, for accurate color matching on heterogeneous platforms.

Animated formats derived from PNG are [[Multiple-image Network Graphics|MNG]] and [[APNG]], which is backwards compatible with PNG and supported by most browsers.

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===== HEIF =====

The [[High Efficiency Image File Format]] (HEIF) is an image container format that was standardized by [[Moving Picture Experts Group|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 [[High Efficiency Video Coding|HEVC]] intra-coded images and HEVC-coded image sequences taking advantage of inter-picture prediction.

===== AVIF =====

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=====TIFF=====

The '''TIFF''' ([[Tag Image File Format]]) format is a flexible format usually using either the '''TIFF''' or '''TIF''' filename extension. The tag structure was designed to be easily extendible, and many vendors have introduced proprietary special-purpose tags – with the result that no one reader handles every flavor of TIFF file. TIFFs can be lossy or lossless, depending on the technique chosen for storing the pixel data. Some offer relatively good lossless compression for [[bi-level image|bi-level (black&white) images]]. Some digital cameras can save images in TIFF format, using the [[LZW]] compression algorithm for lossless storage. TIFF image format is not widely supported by web browsers, but it remains widely accepted as a photograph file standard in the printing business. TIFF can handle device-specific color spaces, such as the [[CMYK]] defined by a particular set of printing press inks. [[Optical character recognition|OCR]] (Optical Character Recognition) software packages commonly generate some form of TIFF image (often [[Monochrome|monochromatic]]) for scanned text pages.

===== BMP =====

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==== Other raster formats ====

* BPG ([[Better Portable Graphics]])—an image format from 2014. Its purpose is to replace JPEG when quality or file size is an issue. To that end, it features a high [[data compression ratio]], based on a subset of the [[High Efficiency Video Coding|HEVC]] video compression standard, including [[lossless compression]]. In addition, it supports various meta data (such as EXIF).

* DEEP—[[Interchange File Format|IFF]]-style format used by [[TVPaint]]

* [[Drawn File|DRW]] (Drawn File)

* [[ECW (file format)|ECW]] (Enhanced Compression Wavelet)

* [[FITS]] (Flexible Image Transport System)

* [[FLIF]] (Free Lossless Image Format)—a discontinued lossless image format which claims to outperform PNG, lossless WebP, lossless BPG and lossless JPEG 2000 in terms of compression ratio. It uses the MANIAC (Meta-Adaptive Near-zero Integer Arithmetic Coding) entropy encoding algorithm, a variant of the [[Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding|CABAC]] (context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding) entropy encoding algorithm.

* [[ICO (file format)|ICO]]—container for one or more icons (subsets of [[BMP file format|BMP]] and/or [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]])

* [[ILBM]]—[[Interchange File Format|IFF]]-style format for up to 32 bit in planar representation, plus optional 64 bit extensions

* [[ERDAS IMAGINE|IMG]] (ERDAS IMAGINE Image)

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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 [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]] technology such as that used in some [[electronic test equipment]], [[medical monitors]], [[radar]] displays, [[Laser light show|laser shows]] and [[Spacewar!|early video games]]. [[Plotter]]s are printers that use vector data rather than pixel data to draw graphics.

==== CGM ====

CGM ([[Computer Graphics Metafile]]) is a file format for [[vector graphics|2D vector graphics]], raster graphics, and [[character (computer)|text]], and is defined by '''[[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]]/[[International Electrotechnical Commission|IEC]] 8632'''. All [[computer graphics|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 [[engineering drawing|technical illustration]] and professional [[Industrial design|design]], but has largely been superseded by formats such as [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] and [[AutoCAD DXF|DXF]].

==== Gerber format (RS-274X) ====

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==== Other 2D vector formats ====

* AFDesign ([[Affinity Designer]] document)

* AI ([[Adobe Illustrator Artwork]])— proprietary file format developed by [[Adobe Inc.|Adobe Systems]]

* CDR—proprietary format for [[CorelDRAW]] vector graphics editor

* !DRAW—a native vector graphic format (in several backward compatible versions) for the [[RISC-OS]] computer system begun by Acorn in the mid-1980s and still present on that platform today

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* [[NAPLPS]] (North American Presentation Layer Protocol Syntax)

* ODG ([[OpenDocument Graphics]])

* PGML ([[Precision Graphics Markup Language]])—a [[World Wide Web Consortium|W3C]] submission that was not adopted as a [[W3C recommendation|recommendation]]

* [[PSTricks]] and [[PGF/TikZ]] are languages for creating graphics in [[TeX]] documents

* QCC—used by Quilt Manager (by Quilt EZ) for designing quilts<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fileinfo.com/extension/qcc |title=.QCC File Extension |access-date=2025-05-01}}</ref>

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* VML ([[Vector Markup Language]])—obsolete XML-based format

* [[Xar (graphics)|Xar]]—format used in vector applications from [[Xara]]

* XPS ([[Open XML Paper Specification|XML Paper Specification]])—page description language and a fixed-document format

==== 3D vector formats ====

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* [[Additive Manufacturing File Format|AMF]] – Additive Manufacturing File Format

*[[Asymptote (vector graphics language)|Asymptote]] – A language that lifts TeX to 3D.

*[[.blend#File format|.blend]] – Blender

*[[COLLADA]]

*[[DGN]]

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*[[U3D]] – Universal 3D file format

*[[VRML]] – Virtual Reality Modeling Language

*[[XAML]]

*[[Extensible Application Markup Language|XAML]]

*XGL<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cadinterop.com/en/formats/mesh/xgl.html |title=XGL Guide for CAD Interoperability: Optimal Visualization and Conversion of 3D Models |access-date=2025-05-01}}</ref>

*[[XVL]]

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* WMF / EMF ([[Windows Metafile]] / Enhanced Metafile)

*[[SWF]] (Shockwave Flash)

*[[Extensible Application Markup Language|XAML]] User interface language using vector graphics for images.

=== Stereo formats ===