Image Formats Guide
JPG
Best for photos and photorealistic images. Lossy compression compresses the file down to its smallest capacity but decreases quality in over-compression. Used best for web sharing photos where file size is crucial.
Example:
PNG
Supports lossless compression, so image quality is preserved. Best for images that require transparency or sharp edges, like logos and graphics. Typically larger in size than JPG, hence not as commonly used for photographs.
Example:
SVG
A vector file ideal for graphics, logos, and icons. Since it’s composed of scalable shapes, it will maintain quality even if you reshape it. Ideal for web graphics where you want sharp lines regardless of the size.
WebP
A modern file type for images used on the web. Offers superior compression to JPG and PNG, producing high quality files in smaller sizes. Is transparennttransparent and animatable, and due to these properties, is extremely popular.
GIF
Mainly utilized for small animations and small videos. Support for lossless compression but only up to 256 colors and thus unsuitable for high-res images. Heavily utilized for web memes and small animations.