Why there are different image formats?

Compression algorithms

There is a difference between compressed images and uncompressed ones. Bitmap format is a non-compressed images: they are of good quality but have a significant bigger size. That is why it is necessary to use compression algorithms for images to make them a small but still of acceptable quality.

The finer and smaller the image, compression will be lower because the final file size will be acceptable. For example, the XPM format used on Linux in particular has a very low compression rate because it applies mainly to small images such as icons.

This is the same as DivX / XviD videos. Which we have discussed ago.

Compressed image formats

There are different formats:

• PNG: The images have several million colors. This is the format most recent and most appreciated. It especially allows the use of transparency.
• JPEG is the format used for photographs because it allows you to manage images with plenty of colors while maintaining a proper size.
• GIF: This format allows you to use only 256 colors, it is still used routinely but tends to disappear. Its great advantage is the ability to create animated GIFs.

These formats are most used on the Internet thanks to their small sizes for faster loading pages. However, be aware that the compressed images are also widely used for software development.

To summarize

• There are two types of images: compressed and uncompressed.
• PNG, JPEG and GIF formats are widely available on the Internet.
• JPEG is best used for photos, animated GIF and PNG images for the rest.