file types Flashcards
Vector vs Raster
Raster images are constructed by a series of pixels, or individual blocks, to form an image. JPEG, GIF, and PNG are all raster image extensions.
Vector images are far more flexible. They are constructed using proportional formulas rather than pixels. EPS, AI and PDF are perfect for creating graphics that require frequent resizing (scaling)
JPEG (or JPG) - Joint Photographic Experts Group
You can use JPEGs for projects on the web, in Microsoft Office documents, or for projects that require printing at a high resolution.
PEGs are known for their “lossy” compression, meaning that the quality of the image decreases as the file size decreases.
PNG - Portable Network Graphics
The reason PNGs are used in most web projects is that you can save your image with more colors on a transparent background. This makes for a much sharper, web-quality image.
While PNGs are “lossless,” meaning you can edit them and not lose quality, they are still low resolution
GIF - Graphics Interchange Format
GIFs are most common in their animated form
This is a common file type for web projects where an image needs to load very quickly, as opposed to one that needs to retain a higher level of quality
TIFF - Tagged Image File
-doesnt lose quality
Despite TIFF images’ ability to recover their quality after manipulation, you should avoid using this file type on the web. Since it can take forever to load, it’ll severely impact website performance. TIFF files are also commonly used when saving photographs for print.
PSD - Photoshop Document
PSDs are files that are created and saved in Adobe Photoshop, the most popular graphics editing software ever. This type of file contains “layers” that make modifying the image much easier to handle.
PDF - Portable Document Format
If a designer saves your vector logo in PDF format, you can view it without any design editing software (as long as you have downloaded the free Acrobat Reader software), and they have the ability to use this file to make further manipulations. This is by far the best universal tool for sharing graphics.
EPS - Encapsulated Postscript
EPS is a file in vector format that has been designed to produce high-resolution graphics for print. Almost any kind of design software can create an EPS.
AI - Adobe Illustrator Document
Illustrator produces vector artwork, the easiest type of file to manipulate.
AI is, by far, the image format most preferred by designers and the most reliable type of file format for using images in all types of projects from web to print, etc.
INDD - Adobe InDesign Document
INDDs (InDesign Document) are files that are created and saved in Adobe InDesign. InDesign is commonly used to create larger publications, such as newspapers, magazines and eBooks.
