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About Image Formats
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
The most popular form of animated graphics found on the web is the .GIF file. GIF was developed as a cross-platform graphic standard and is supported by all graphical Internet browsers. GIF supports up to 8-bit color (256 possible colors), and you can store custom palettes with your image. GIF offers several advanced graphic options, including transparent backgrounds and image interlacing.
GIF files provide lossless compression, which means that when you convert to .GIF, all the file information is stored with the image, and the .GIF file looks exactly like the graphic you created. Because there is limited decompression required, .GIFs display fairly quickly on screen.
GIF format is useful for storing images with limited number of colors (256 maximum), transparent regions and sharp edges. This format supports animation.
AVI (Audio Video Interleave)
The filename extension for a Windows video file. .AVI file includes video and sound. This format supports animation.
BMP (Bitmap)
Windows bitmap files. Basic Windows file format. An image composed of grids of pixels or dots. Scanners and painting programs generate this type of image. This format doesn't support animation.
ICO (Icon)
An Icon file, which usually has the ICO extension, contains an icon image. Icons are typically used in a GUI to trigger a program, to initiate a procedure or to change some program parameter or setting. They are also used to represent a file or a file folder, enabling the user to load the file or open the folder. This format doesn't support animation.
PNG (The Portable Network Graphics)
The Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format was designed to replace the older and simpler GIF format. PNG compresses better than GIF in almost every case, but the difference is generally only around 5% to 25%. It supports up to 48-bit true color. One GIF feature that PNG does not try to reproduce is multiple-image support, especially animations. PNG was and is intended to be a single-image format only. This format doesn't support animation.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
An international standard for image compression that offers compression with almost no losses at ratios up to 20 to 1. JPEG is supported by all platforms up to 24-bit color. Maximum image size is 64,000 pixels by 64,000 pixels.
If your images are non transparent, have blurred edges and have millions colors, use JPEG format. This format doesn't support animation.
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