GIF

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a bitmap image format for pictures that use 256 (or fewer) distinct colors (though there is a workaround for this limitation). and animations that use 256 (or fewer) distinct colors per frame. GIFs are compressed files, and are employed specifically to reduce the amount of time it takes to transfer images over a network connection. The format was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web.

Usage

Even with the general adoption of broadband, the size of downloads continues to be a critical issue on the world wide web. Large web pages have a negative effect on user experience by being slow to render. Large web pages are also more expensive for their owners who pay by the megabyte once traffic has passed a certain level. Therefore GIF's compression makes it desirable as an image format for use on webpages.

Related Topics:
Broadband - World wide web - Megabyte

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GIF is the only widely used image format to support animation. It is frequently used to make small animations and short, low-resolution films for web pages.

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Most web page logos and design element images are GIF or PNG because those are designed to successfully compress images that contain large blocks of the same colour or of repeating patterns; JPEG cannot compress areas of flat, clean colour with sharp transitions well.

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JPEG is preferred for digital photographs because it allows images to contain more than 16 million different colours (GIF gives a choice of only 256 of those colours per image) and it compresses photographs better. Uncompressed bitmap formats like Windows bitmap are sometimes preferred for images in computer software when speed is more important than reduced file size, because uncompressed bitmaps can be displayed more quickly.

Related Topics:
Digital photographs - Windows bitmap - Computer software

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