Image Formats

Overview

Selecting the right file/file or image format is a crucial decision that can significantly affect how our brand is perceived. Each format—whether it’s JPEG, PNG, SVG, or WebP—has its own strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases. These differences often revolve around file size, compression methods, transparency support, and how well the format preserves image quality.

Using the wrong format can greatlylead impactto a range of issues. For example, highly compressed images like low-quality JPEGs may appear pixelated or blurry, which can make our materials look unprofessional or outdated. On the other hand, using uncompressed or overly large formats may result in unnecessarily heavy file sizes, leading to slow-loading webpages and poor user experience—especially on mobile devices or slower networks (especially important with the scouting site!). 

By understanding the trade-offs and selecting the most appropriate file format for each use case—such as SVGs for logos and icons, PNGs for graphics with transparency, and WebP for optimized web images—we ensure that our content looks sharp, loads quickly, and consistently reflects the high standards of our brand.

File Formats

To maintain a polished and professional visual identity, it’s important to choose the right file format for each type of image or graphic. Each format comes with its own set of strengths and limitations related to quality, file size, scalability, and transparency. The table below outlines the most common image formats we use, what they’re best suited for, and when to use them to ensure our brand image.assets look their best across both digital and print platforms.

Format	Description	Use for
JPG/JPEG	Format originally developed for landscapephotographic photograph.images. LossyUses adjustable lossy compression compressesto thereduce file downsize, towhich itscan smallestdegrade capacityquality butat decreaseshigh compression levels. Best used when smaller file sizes are needed and slight quality inloss over-compression. Used best for sharing photos where file size is crucial.acceptable.	Photos (preferred). Use WebP for photos over web.
PNG	Supports lossless compression, sopreserving full image qualityquality. is preserved. BestIdeal for images that require transparency ortransparency, sharp edges, likeor logoscrisp detail, such as UI elements, icons, and graphics.illustrations. Typically larger in size than JPG, hencemaking notit asless commonlyideal used for photographs.full-resolution photographs.	GraphicsUse when SVG/JPG/WebP doesn't work: graphics where raster detail is needed (SVGe.g. preferred)shadows), Photosscreenshots (JPGor preferred)photos where exact color is needed.
SVG	A vectorvector-based fileformat ideal for graphics,logos, logos,icons, and icons.scalable Sincegraphics. Maintains sharp quality at any size since it’s composedbased on shapes and paths instead of scalablepixels. shapes,Not it will maintain quality even if you reshape it. Idealsuitable for webphotographs (andor print)detailed graphicsraster where you want sharp lines regardless of the size.images.	Graphics (preferred)
WebP	A modern fileimage typeformat designed for images used on the web.web. Offers superior compression compared to JPG and PNG, producingresulting highin qualitysmaller filesfile insizes smallerwith sizes.excellent Isquality. transparentSupports transparency and animatable,animation. andWidely duesupported toin thesemodern properties, is extremely popular. browsers.	Photos/graphics on websites (preferred)
GIF	MainlyPrimarily utilizedused for smallsimple animations and smallshort videos.looping Supportvisuals. forLimited lossless compression but only up to 256 colors and thususes unsuitableLZW compression, which is technically lossless but results in reduced visual fidelity due to the color limitation. Not suitable for high-resresolution images.or Heavilycolor-rich utilized for web memes and small animations.images.	Animations/highlySimple compressedanimations. videosFor longer or higher-quality animations, consider MP4/WebM.