The Best File Type

What is THE best file type for images out there? We've all seen and used different image file types before, but how much do you actually know about them? Well, I'll go through some of the major ones in this page. ^^

Bitmap (.bmp)

BMP files are usually associated with Pixel Art or large-scale digital photographs (.bmp is the default file type for MS Paint).
BMP files can give good quality, but at the cost of having a large file size. For example, the image shown above is 14.7kB- this can be compared with the same image as a GIF file (of similar quality) being only 1.92kB. A large image file size on a website can be bad for your bandwidth.
Another drawback of the Bitmap file is that it does not scale well. This means that enlarging the image will make for some pretty poor quality.

JPEG (.jpg)

If you own a digital camera, chances are you've seen a JPEG file before. Most digital cameras save their images in .jpg format with varied qualities, depending on the camera. The two images above represent both sides of the scale, the good (left) and the bad (right), but surprisingly, there is little difference in the two files size's.
JPEG's have a very fast download speed, despite their file size; they also support a lot of colour. A drawback of using .jpg files in graphics is obviously the quality. For larger things, you might be able to pull it off, but for things like banners, you're better off staying away from this file type.

GIF (.gif)

Ah, GIF. One of the best. GIF files are used extensively in the world of web designing. They have a minute size; compared to other file types, which allows for fast download (good for bandwidth usage). GIF's also support transparency and image interlacing (A method that lets you display an image on screen at a low, blocky resolution. As the image data loads, the image quality improves).
One of GIF's most notable attributes is it's ability to support animations.

PNG (.png)

The PNG format was specifically designed for web display. They support a wide range of colour depths and better interlacing than a GIF. Also like GIF, a PNG file can support transparency.
Though the PNG file is good, it is relatively new. This means that not all (especially older) browsers and monitors cannot fully support PNG images (like the transparency)
A PNG file will compress better than a GIF, but has a slightly larger file size.

The Winner?

Well, I can't come up with a clear winner... because there isn't one. xD All these files are good for different things.

JPG: Best for larger sized photos, but not particularly suited to smaller images.
GIF: Best for web graphics due to their small size and animations.
PNG: Best for smaller images, I’ve found. Particularly banners, avatars, etc.