You’ve spent the last few hours working on the perfect photo shoot
and everything went better than you could have possibly imagined. After
importing the RAW files to your PC and making a few edits in Photoshop,
it is time to save your masterpiece. But, what file type do you select?
With over twenty different file types to choose from, we are here to
break down some of the most popular and tell you a bit about their
strengths and weaknesses.
The well-known JPEG format is the standard for compatibility. No
matter how you wish to share your photographs, whether on a social
network or to a print shop, the JPEG is likely to be supported. JPEG is
great for sharing photos because you know there won’t be any trouble
reading the format.
There are downsides to saving as a JPEG, though. For starters, the
file format doesn’t support transparency within images. Debatable
compression quality also means you may not get the desired standards you
are seeking when you hit the save button. Some users suggest that
saving a JPEG with maximum quality will produce acceptable results, but
others have yet to be convinced.
Best For: Sharing Images online with friends or family.
The Photoshop format, also referred to by its ‘PSD’ file extension,
is the default format for saving your work. It provides compatibility
across a number of Adobe products including Illustrator, InDesign
Premiere, and After Effects. It is one of the only formats that can save
a file with all Photoshop features accounted for, such as layers and
applied effects.
Despite being an excellent way to preserve every adjustment you have
made in Photoshop, the PSD file is not generally accepted when sharing
images since your client must be in the Adobe ecosystem in order to open
it. PSD is useful for saving your work so you can easily return to the
file to resume work. In most cases, PSD should be confined to your
workspace.
Best For: Saving files on your workspace so you can return and edit later.
The PNG format is a lossless file type, which means it can preserve
your images without any loss in image quality. The format itself was
based on the GIF file type, but allows for higher bit rate pictures and
can preserve background transparency while minimizing jagged edges. PNG
is an excellent format for displaying images on the web that require
transparent elements.
Downsides to the PNG format typically include a large file size; this
means that while PNG is excellent for the web, it should be used
sparingly and only when needed for transparency purposes. Overusing PNG
images on a web server could result in a slower experience for end users
and increased bandwidth costs for the site owner.
Best For: Preserving transparency for images on the web.
The Tagged-Image File Format (TIFF) is an extremely flexible format
that is one of the best for saving your prized images on your Mac or PC.
TIFF is compatible with almost all image-editing and graphics
applications currently available. In addition, TIFF supports a large
number of color standards including CMYK, RGB, Lab, Indexed Color, and
Grayscale Images.
Similar to PNG, TIFF is also able to preserve transparency with the
bonus of including alpha channels, which dictate the specific degree of
transparence. TIFF files can also save Photoshop layers so they can be
edited or rearranged at a later time. If you are saving an HDR image
with immense dynamic range, TIFF can save images at a rate of up to
32-bits-per-channel.
TIFF files can pack a lot of information, but can also become quite
large due to this fact. In addition, while TIFF is compatible with
various image-editing programs, not every social networking site or
device will be able to properly display the files. TIFF is best reserved
for archiving images on your PC to preserve quality or for high-quality
printing.
Best For: Archival purposes and retaining maximum quality.
The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) has been included on this list
simply so that we can tell you to avoid it. GIF images are extremely
compressed files specifically designed to increase transfer speed over
the internet. PNG was developed as an alternative to the GIF while
maintaining quality far beyond what the GIF is capable of storing.
The only time a GIF image should generally be used is for low-quality
web graphics that feature animation. GIF feature a limited color range
and are not suited for reproducing high-quality images in today’s world.
An animated GIF of a silly cat, however, is acceptable.
Best For: Low-resolution animated images for the web.
Original Post from :http://petapixel.com/2015/09/23/5-common-file-types-in-photography-and-when-you-should-use-each-one/
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