JPG and GIF

JPG is a compressed format. GIF is a "lossless" format.

Lossless?

The .jpg format essentially discards "redundant" data, sorta coding "This stuff here, here, here, here, and here is the same as this stuff over here", recording all the data for only one of those "here"s instead of coding all the data for each of the other identical "here"s, storing that data in what would amount to something like a reference file to which all those other "here"s are pointed - thats an over-simplification, but thats the idea.

The .jpg format allows for a much smaller file size than .gif for an essentially equivalent image, though sorta at the cost of requiring more processing power. The .jpg format is better suited to continuous-tone images, such as photos; among other things .jpg codes millions of colors, whereas .gif codes only 256 colors. The .gif format does a better job than .jpg with stuff like line graphics and text, all else being equal, rendering line and/or text more sharply, more distinctly, than does .jpg, and is well suited for relatively small, low-resolution images, such as icons, but despite its larger file size, due to its coding limitations, it does not do as well with gradations of contrast or color, which is .jpg's strong suite.

I did notice that. The coloring of the gif was different from the jpg. It had a painterly look, I liked it for a special project, and look.

I see why they prefer GIFs, JPEGs or PNGS. But, they need more KBs, and thats more money, darn. Unless I make the images small, and I don't want the images too small.

One more question:
Of the GIFs, JPEGs, and PNGs which uses the least KBs? I have not used JPEGs or PNGs yet.

Thanks Tim,

{A}

Here's some more info:

How bad is JPG? (Large webpage)

and

JPG vs. GIF

"Lossy" vs. "lossless"

"Lossy" formats, such as JPG, do not store the exact image. The image is allowed to degrade in order to provide greater compression.

"Lossless" formats, such as GIF and PNG, store the image so that there is no degredation. There is a limit, however, to how much you can compress an image this way.

But remember choosy emailers choose Jiff

Of the three, a .jpg generally will have the smallest file size for a given image. A further note; while broadly supported, the .png format may not be rendered correctly, if at all, by some browsers and/or image editing applications. That is a minor consideration, and increasingly unlikely to be a factor for most users. And just to add a bit of essentially useless-for-most-folks complication, the .tif and .raw formats afford, at the considerable expense of file size, the greatest resolution and fidelity. Their use primarily is confined to relatively advanced graphics applications involving high-resolution photographic images, and is supported primarily by upper-end software and hardware. Don't worry about either; if you need them, you most likely already know what they are, what they do, why they do that, and how and when to use them. If you don't know, it is highly unlikely you might have occasion, need or reason to be concerned with them.

Thanks DrewDad, I will read those links.

I understand that Tim. But the program I'm working with does not take JPGs. It recommends the other three I mentioned. I need to understand those. I started the question with the JPG, and GIF because those are the more familiar to me. So, any links that can explain the others will be grate.

Thanks again Tim

*sings, tell me more, tell me more* :wink:

What program are you working with - and why? What is it you're attempting to accomplish?

I don't know the name of the program, but it's very different from this forum, and others I have participated in.

It's like a forum, but not at the same time. I pay $183.+ a year for 10 MG, and many other benefits including about 15 rooms (or pages) that are my own to decorate anyway I want.

It's a community of poets, artist, writers.

Now I'm really confused. Would it be convenient for you to toss me a link to the forum's FAQ?

I could not find the Q&A, here is the link to the site.

http://www.ancientworlds.net

Please let me know what you think

Seems to me you're having difficulty with some specific feature or function of the website; it does support uploading .jpg files, according to this:



I note also the site displays .jpgs all over - they get there somehow. I suggest you further consult the in-depth documentation for the website, or contact the website's Administrators or User Help facillity to get yourself sorted out.

It does, but in some places you can see them clear, and the same image in other places you can see them as a gray blur.

They recommend the use of the other three so you can see them clear everywhere.

What do you think of the site?

I can only assume whatever is going on is peculiar to that website and/or your browser - as I suggested, your most likely avenue for useful information will be the help and support facillities of that specific website.