Image format reference
Twelve formats, what each is actually for, and the trade-offs that decide between them. No marketing — just what changes when you pick one over another.
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Animation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPG | Lossy | No | No | Photos from cameras, phones, and almost any website |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | No | Screenshots, logos, design exports, and graphics with transparency |
| WebP | Lossy | Yes | Yes | Saved from a website — Chrome and most modern sites serve WebP by default |
| AVIF | Lossy | Yes | Yes | Downloaded from a modern website that serves next-gen images |
| GIF | Lossless | Yes | Yes | Memes, reaction images, simple animations and old web graphics |
| BMP | Lossless | No | No | Legacy Windows applications, scanners, and industrial equipment |
| TIFF | Lossless | Yes | No | Scanners, fax systems, print workflows and professional photo software |
| ICO | Lossless | Yes | No | Website favicons and Windows application icons |
| SVG | Vector | Yes | Yes | Logos and icons exported from Figma, Illustrator or Inkscape |
| HEIC | Lossy | Yes | No | Photos taken on an iPhone or iPad with default camera settings |
| JPEG XL | Lossy | Yes | Yes | Photography workflows and archival projects experimenting with next-gen formats |
| Lossless | No | No | Required by an application form, a print shop or an office workflow |
Choosing a format in one paragraph
If it is a photograph destined for other people, use JPG. If it is a photograph on your own website and you control delivery, use WebP or AVIF and keep a JPG fallback. If it has transparency, or it is a screenshot, logo or anything containing text, use PNG. If it is a logo or icon that will be shown at more than one size, keep it as SVG for as long as you can. If a form or a print shop is asking, the answer is almost always JPG or PDF.