What's the difference between PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, ect...?

There are several ways of encoding what could be considered the same information. Some of these allow animation (GIF89a, for instance), others allow transparency (PNG, for instance), and some are used just as a simple bitmap that may be large in size but very simple to do computations on (BMP).

Others are lossy (JPEG), while yet others are lossless (TIFF). So the answer is, all of these are image formats, but they're used in different ways - and some come from other hardware platforms than Windows (so they're parallel evolutions to more Windows-centric and MS-DOS-centric image formats).

As we keep building on old image technology, types of file formats keep piling up, each with their own nuances and uses. JPG, PNG, and GIF have become the most common, but what sets them apart from each other?

These formats have become the most popular because of their compatibility with modern browsers, broadband speeds, and the needs of average users. Join us as we take a detailed look at each format, and cover the strengths and weaknesses of each.

A GIF is an animated image. The others are still images

PNG newer with compression! For internet.

JPEG older with compression! For internet.

GIF Animated! For internet.

BMP old no compression Not for internet.

Lots of good answers here: http://www.google.com/search?q=What%27s+the+differ...

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