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The Different Types of Files

Updated: May 14, 2023


1. JPEG


This is just an image of working man

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) which is the name of the group who created the JPEG standard. The JPEG format is also useful for digital cameras for taking good quality photos that take up little space on digital camera memory cards.


Advantage of JPEG


The JPEG files are highly compressible. The small file size means that JPEG images can easily be uploaded on web pages. JPEG images are compatible with almost all devices and software, which means that there is no need to change the format for usage. High-resolution JPEG images are vibrant and colorful.


Disadvantage of JPEG


This is because JPEG is a lossy compression format, which means some of the detail of your image will be lost when saved in order to keep a low file size. Lossy compression formats make it impossible for you to recover the original data, so not only is the image altered, but the effect is irreversible.


Features of JPEG


It supports RGB, Grayscale, and CMYK. It can reveal an unlimited number of colors in a 16-bit data format. Unlike other file formats (e.g. GIF), JPG can handle color gradation smoothly. In addition to being used for photography, JPG file format is a great fit for still images, i.e. files with complex shades.


2. PNG


This is just an image of elephant USD

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) are different from JPEGs because they use “lossless compression”. This means a PNG can be compressed to a smaller file size without losing any of the detail in the image.


The advantages of the PNG:


  • Lossless compression - doesn't lose detail and quality after image compression.

  • Supports a large number of colors - the format is suitable for different types of digital images, including photographs and graphics.


The disadvantages of the PNG:


  • Bigger file size - compresses digital images at a larger file size.

  • Not ideal for professional-quality print graphics - doesn't support non-RGB color spaces such as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black).

  • Doesn't support embedding EXIF metadata used by most digital cameras.


Features of PNG


  • Not only can one color be made transparent, but the degree of transparency, called opacity, can be controlled.

  • Supports image interlacing and develops faster than in interlaced GIF(Graphics Interchange Format).


3. GIF


This is just an image of Files

The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF; /ɡɪf/ GHIF or /dʒɪf/ JIF) is a bitmap image format that was developed by a team at the online services provider CompuServe led by American computer scientist Steve Wilhite and released on 15 June 1987.


Advantages of GIF


GIF is non-photographic images for use on the Internet. GIFs reduce the original image size by eliminating unnecessary color information.


  • It is lighter and easier to implement than video.

  • It easily captures attention at the heart message or item.

  • It has strong capacity for virality.

  • It can capture a younger audience.

  • It is ideal to advising, educating and explaining slightly adapted concepts in a few words or an image.


Disadvantages of GIF


The animated GIFs only have a maximum color palette of 256 colors, so, they can look of a poorer quality than the other types of file or image, So, The images will have more blocky colors and also look slightly pixelated.


  • Animation requires a lot of effort and time to create. It works well from a technical perspective. ...

  • It cannot judge the level of every student in a class. ...

  • The animation technology is created to interact with the students. ...

  • Animation technology uses more storage and memory space.


Features of GIF


  • Limited color palette. A GIF image can contain 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 colors which are stored in a color palette or color lookup table within the image file.

  • Dithering.

  • LZW (Lempel–Ziv–Welch) compression.

  • Transparency.

  • Interlacing.

  • Animation.


4. PDF


This is just an image of man working with laptop

PDF stands for "portable document format". Essentially, the format is used when you need to save files that cannot be modified but still need to be easily shared and printed. Today almost everyone has a version of other program on their computer that can read a PDF file.


Advantages of PDF


  • Graphic Integrity. A PDF displays the exact same content and layout no matter which operating system, device or software application it is viewed on.

  • Multi-Dimensional.

  • Convenient.

  • Secure.

  • Compact.


Disadvantages of PDF


  • Cost of editing. Unfortunately - it's not possible to directly edit your PDF file for free.

  • Layout. Although PDF files are ideal for printing - their pages are commonly in A3 or A4 format, making it hard to see each full page at a time. ...

  • Basic.

PDFs can be harmful. History has already shown us that the combination of an email and a malicious PDF attachment can be quite devastating, with losses reaching millions of dollars. That's why it's important for organizations to think about email protection.



For now, how can we safely open a PDF attachment?


The safe way to view a PDF is inside the browser. Printing a PDF directly from browser to your printer is reasonably safe. The unsafe way to view a PDF is with your favorite PDF-viewer app.


Features of PDF


  • PDF is a reliable and cross-platform file format. If information is passed on via a PDF, this can be done anywhere in the world without having to worry about it.

  • PDF is a secure and signable file format.

  • PDF is a true to the original, searchable and accessible file format.


5. SVG


SVG is short for “Scalable Vector Graphics”. It's a XML based two-dimensional graphic file format. SVG format was developed as an open standard format by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The primary use of SVG files are for sharing graphics contents on the Internet.


Advantages of SVG


  • SVG images can be created and edited with any text editor.

  • SVG images can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed.

  • SVG images are scalable.

  • SVG images can be printed with high quality at any resolution.

  • SVG images are zoomable.


Disadvantages of SVG


  • Cannot support as much detail. Since SVGs are based on points and paths instead of pixels, they can't display as much detail as standard image formats. ...

  • SVG doesn't work on legacy browsers. Legacy browsers, such as IE8 and lower, don't support SVG.


Features of SVG


SVG is a platform for two-dimensional graphics. It has two parts: an XML-based file format and a programming API for graphical applications. Key features include shapes, text and embedded raster graphics, with many different painting styles.


Features of SVG in html5


The SVG element is a container that defines a new coordinate system and viewport. It is used as the outermost element of SVG documents, but it can also be used to embed an SVG fragment inside an SVG or HTML document. Note: The xmlns attribute is only required on the outermost SVG element of SVG documents.


6. MP4


This is just an image of man editing a video

MP4 is a multimedia container format, which is just a fancy term for most of the videos we consume on the Internet. This file can contain video, audio, and subtitles. Thanks to its compression format, the end result will be a very lightweight file that can be easily uploaded to your website or favorite social media channel. MP4s can also be played on all major media players and streamed over the Internet, so you won’t need any sophisticated program to view it. In summary, this is the best choice for creating or saving video files to your website, social media and more.

Advantages: lightweight file, playable on all major media players and streamable online.


Disadvantages: we searched high and low, but it seems that this file type has no flaws.


Features of MP4


MP4 allows a good level of compression without compromising on image quality. One of its main advantages is that it allows you to easily combine several audio tracks and other elements in a single format. The high level of compression applied by the standard codecs makes MP4 files difficult to edit and produce.


Use it at Videos on your website and social media videos.

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