When to use JPEG, GIF or PNG.

Here is a straightforward overview of when you should – and shouldn’t -use each of the three most popular image extensions for web.

USE JPEG for

1. Photographs (Never GIF or PNG!!!)
2. Complex images with millions of colors
3. Clip art
4. When you require ‘lossy’ (reducing quality to improve download speed)

DO NOT use JPEG for

1. Images containing text
2. Images with large areas of solid color
3. Images that require crips edges
4. Simple images with few colours

USE GIF for

1. Images with less than 256 colours
2. Simple shapes (i.e custom bullets)
3. Animated Images
4. Flat colour images
5. Images containing text

DO NOT use GIF for

1. Photographs (causes banding and pixelation).
2. Images with ’gradients’.

USE PNG for

1. ‘Alpha transparency’
2. Animated Images
3. For reducing file sizes below .gif format
4. Images ‘with gradients’
5. Images containing text

Do NOT use PNG for

1. Photographs (causes pixelation)
2. If you require IE to support specail features.

 There – That wasn’t too painful.