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Common Web Image Formats
Neil A. Wilson

There are many ways that images can be stored on a computer. On PC computers alone, available formats include: BMP, TGA, TIF, WMF, GIF, JPG, DIB, CDR, IMG, ICO, PIC, PCX, RLE, PNG, WPG, and many others. To make a web browser that supported all such image formats would be nearly impossible. Since the Internet is to be a worldwide, platform-independent form of media, two forms emerged as superior for nearly all kinds of graphics: the JPEG format and the Compuserve GIF format:

GIF (Pronounced "Jiff")
  • An acronym for "Graphics Interchange Format"
  • The most common Internet graphics format
  • Can contain up to 256 colors per image
  • Best suited for logos, icons, and line art

[GIF Computer Image]

   JPEG (Pronounced "Jay-Peg")
  • An acronym for "Joint Photographic Experts Group"
  • A very popular Internet graphics format
  • An image can contain any number of colors
  • Best suited for photos and scanned images

[JPEG Example Photo]

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Last modified September 22, 1997 by Neil Wilson
nwilson@mail.millikin.edu