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Choosing the Right Image Format

JPEG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF? A guide to selecting the best format for your needs.

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Choosing the Right Image Format

Selecting the appropriate image format is crucial for balancing quality and performance. The wrong format can result in unnecessarily large files or poor image quality.

Key Factors to Consider

  • Image content: Photographs vs. graphics vs. text
  • Transparency needs: Alpha channel requirements
  • Animation: Whether the image needs to move
  • Browser support: Compatibility with user browsers
  • Quality requirements: How critical is visual fidelity

Image Format Comparison

Format Best For Compression Transparency Browser Support
JPEG Photographs Lossy No Universal
PNG Graphics, text Lossless Yes Universal
GIF Simple animations Lossless Yes (1-bit) Universal
WebP Photos & graphics Both Yes Modern browsers
AVIF High quality photos Both Yes Latest browsers
SVG Logos, icons Vector Yes Universal
Published on: June 15, 2025
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