What Do All These Graphics File Extensions Mean?

I commonly come across clients that seem so confused about all the commonly used file extensions used in the world of design. I hope this brief description will clear up some of the most common confusion.

Vector Files store images as a series of descriptions of simple shapes. They will split an image into lines, rectangles, circles etc. and will describe the positions and colors of all of these shapes on the page, and then reconstruct the image when the file is opened. There are advantages to using vector files, because you have a description of a scene you can increase its size indefinitely and still have enough information to keep a high quality image. Some programs use a vector format by default. All PowerPoint drawings are in a vector format, as is all Microsoft clip art. Vector images are suitable for putting simple images into documents and presentations, but should not be used in web pages.

Bitmap Images are analogous to taking a photograph. The whole image is split into a grid of tiny squares, called pixels, and the color for each pixel in the whole image is recorded. This format allows extremely complex pictures to be described (such as photos), but can produce extremely large file sizes. Unlike vector files, you cannot enlarge a bitmap file without losing resolution. One last point about these two formats is that it is easy to convert a vector file into a bitmap (that’s what happens when you look at it on your screen!), but rarely possible to convert a bitmap into a vector. Typically, BMP files are uncompressed, hence they are large; the advantage is their simplicity, wide acceptance, and use in Windows programs.

JPEG or Joint Photographic Experts Group files (DOS filename extension is JPG) suffer generational degradation when repeatedly edited and saved. The JPEG format also is used as the image compression algorithm in many Adobe PDF files.
Advantages of JPEG images:
• Huge compression ratios mean faster download speeds
• JPEG produces excellent results for most photographs and complex images
• JPEG supports full-color (24-bit, “true color”) images

GIF or Graphics Interchange Format is limited to an 8-bit palette, or 256 colors. This makes the GIF format suitable for storing graphics with relatively few colors such as simple diagrams, shapes, logos and cartoon style images. The GIF format supports animation and is still widely used to provide image animation effects.
Advantages of GIF files:
• GIF is the most widely supported graphics format on the Web
• GIFs of diagrammatic images look better than JPEGs
• GIF supports transparency and interlacing

TIFF or Tagged Image File Format is a flexible format that normally saves 8 bits or 16 bits per color (red, green, blue) for 24-bit and 48-bit totals, respectively, using either the TIFF or the TIF filenames. The TIFF image format is not widely supported by web browsers. TIFF remains widely accepted as a photograph file standard in the printing business.

PNG or Portable Network Graphics file format was created as the free, open-source successor to the GIF. The PNG file format supports true color (16 million colors) while the GIF supports only 256 colors. The PNG file excels when the image has large, uniformly colored areas. JPG files are smaller than PNG files. Many older browsers currently do not support the PNG file format. However, Internet Explorer 7 and all contemporary web browsers fully support the PNG format.

I hope that this clears it up at least a little bit before you try to save your graphics.

http://www.sasgraphicdesign.com/

Does a Small Business Really Need a Web Site?

Many small business owners have approached me to ask if they already have a successful business, do they really need a web site. In today's struggling economy, the answer is an absolute "yes". For any business to achieve credibility in today's world, consumers expect to be able to go to their favorite search engine, type in the name of the business, and get the low down about that business. Can't find it on the Internet? How good a business could it be?

Even if you don't want to set up a site to specifically sell merchandise, today's consumer wants to be able to "check you out" on the web. A site also give the consumer another way to remember your business and your contact information.

http://www.sasgraphicdesign.com/