File Format

Graphic file Format GIF –cross-platform compatibility –developed by CompuServe as a common format for exchanging bitmapped images between different platforms –uses a lossless compression technique –restricted to 256 colours –not suitable for photographic images

Graphic file Format JPEG –strictly speaking, JPEG is a compression technique –JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, who developed the compression technique –JPEG file is used to refer to what are correctly called - JFIF - JPEG File Interchange Format.

Graphic file Format PNG –widely supported on the web –devised to supersede GIFs –GIF compression algorithm patented by Unisys –it is also lossless technique –not restricted to 256 colours –specification published in 1996 by W3C

Graphic file Format TIFF –not for web –Tag Image File format –supported by most painting programs –can not be read by other programs –natively supported by Windows as is BMP.

Graphic file Format BMP –not for web –Microsoft Windows Bitmap format –uses a lossless compression technique –restricted to 256 colours –not suitable for photographic images

Vector Graphics file Format PostScript –developed by Adobe in mid 80s –programming language with built-in graphic capabilities –page layout language rather than single image language

Vector Graphic file Format EPS –Encapsulated PostScript –most widely used vector graphics format –but a full PostScript interpreter is required to display EPS images

Vector Graphic file Format SVG –by W3C in 1999 –defined in XML (extensible Markup Language) –SVG is a derivative of PostScript –easier to implement –compact

Vector Graphic file Format SWF –by Macromedia in 1999 –for vector animations using Flash –is in wide use for vector images –highly compact format –can be rendered very quickly

Sound file Format AIFF - for MacOS WAV (or Wave) - for windows AU - for Unix –WAV is the Audio WAVeform file format MP3 - MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3

Sound file Format Video and other multimedia formats can also accommodate sound. QuickTime and AVI files. SWF (Flash) files can also be used to store sound. QuickTime supports AIFF, WAV, AU, and MP3 file formats.

Sound file Format MIDI –Musical Instruments digital Inteface

Sound and Picture file Format AVI –AVI stands for Audio and Video Interleaved

Sound and Picture file Format MOV –movie object –file format for QuickTime by apple in 1991