File Format Glossary

WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior lossy and lossless compression for images on the web.

HEIC is Apple's default image format for iPhones, delivering 50% smaller files than JPG while preserving higher quality and supporting depth data.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format that scales to any size without losing quality, ideal for logos and icons.

AVIF is a next-generation image format based on the AV1 video codec, offering the best compression efficiency available today while being royalty-free.

RAW files contain unprocessed sensor data from a digital camera, preserving maximum image quality and editing flexibility.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a flexible, high-quality image format used in publishing, photography, and archival for lossless image storage.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is an image format best known for animated images and short loops, limited to 256 colors per frame.

Lossy compression reduces file size by permanently discarding data deemed less perceptible, trading some quality for significantly smaller files.

Lossless compression reduces file size without discarding any data, allowing the original file to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed version.

Bit depth determines how many distinct colors or tones each pixel (or audio sample) can represent, directly affecting quality and file size.

A color space defines the specific range of colors (gamut) a device or file can represent, such as sRGB for screens or CMYK for print.

DPI (dots per inch) measures print resolution, while PPI (pixels per inch) measures screen resolution — they are related but not interchangeable.

Image transparency allows parts of an image to be fully or partially see-through using an alpha channel, essential for overlays and compositing.

Raster images are made of pixels and lose quality when scaled up, while vector images use mathematical shapes and scale infinitely without quality loss.

OCR is a technology that extracts machine-readable text from images, scanned documents, and PDFs, enabling search and editing of printed content.

File metadata is embedded information about a file — such as creation date, author, dimensions, and technical settings — stored alongside the actual content.

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a standard for storing camera settings, GPS location, and technical details inside photo files.

A codec (coder-decoder) is an algorithm that compresses and decompresses audio or video data, determining the quality, file size, and compatibility of media files.

A container format is a file wrapper (like MP4, MKV, or AVI) that packages compressed video, audio, subtitles, and metadata streams into a single file.

An ICC color profile is a standardized data set that describes how a device (monitor, printer, camera) reproduces colors, ensuring consistent color across workflows.