When it comes to your company’s marketing collateral, you’ll most likely run into having to determine which file format to use in multiple scenarios. Whether you’re uploading an image to the internet, sending an file to be printed, creating an animated image or editing images; whatever it is that you’re doing with an image, file format will be an important factor every time. Here are descriptions of several different format types to help you determine which format to use, based on what you’re doing with your file. JPG A .jpg is pronounced “jay-peg” and is a rater based file. Quality is lost in the compression of a .jpg; in other words, the more compressed your file is, the more your quality of the image will be compromised. This is also referred to as “lossy compression”. Their best use is for web graphics, still images, photographs, images with many colors and images that contain shading of light and dark. When you’re determining which file format to use, determine if precision and quality are critical or if the image is in an editing stage. If either of these circumstance apply, a .jpg is probably not your best option. TIF A .tiff file is also raster based, but unlike a .jpg, it is a “lossless compression” file. This means that it does not lose any image data, regardless of how much it is compressed. If you have a very high quality graphic or photograph, a .tiff is a great format to save it as. Typically, the times that you will need a large, high quality graphic, is when your image is going to be printed, particularly when it is going to be a large-format print (banner stands, trade show graphics, wall murals, floor graphics, window decals, etc.). Not only are .tiff’s large, high quality files, but they also have the ability to contain layers. This makes it great for images that are still being edited and need the layer capabilities. PNG .PNG is pronounced either as “p-n-g” or “ping” and is also a raster based file. They are great for web images, logos, line art and images that involve transparency. These files come in different formats; if you’re saving an image for the web, use PNG-8. If you are using a more complex image or one that is still in editing stages, save it as a PNG-24. If your image needs to be scalable or if the size of your image is important, a .png is most likely not the most appropriate file format. GIF You’ll find that .gif is either pronounced “gif” or “jif”. The ruling is still out on the correct pronunciation. .GIF files are unique in that they not only have layer capabilities, but they also have animation capabilities. If you are looking to create an animated, online ad, a .gif is your only option. They are also great for web graphics and clipart. As a lossless compression file, you won’t lose image data if you compress the file, but if your image includes gradients or complex color, you may want to consider a different format. If you are submitting files to Power Graphics and have any questions about what the best file type is, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We are happy to help you determine what will work best and how to save your image as the best file for your large format prints. Graph showing the differences between .jpg, .tiff, .png, and .gif files.