File Formats: The Best Formats to Save Your Photos
In the settings of your digital camera, you can usually choose between different file formats in which you would like to capture your photos. The default setting is usually JPEG. File formats define the syntax of data, i.e. the internal structure. Each image storage format has its own special features and is suitable for a specific purpose. The file types differ primarily in the amount of data saved in an image. As a rule, the more data, the better the image quality and colour intensity. However, very large amounts of data also require a lot of storage capacity and are not always necessary or possible. Therefore, some formats compress data and are thus mainly suitable for exchanging images, while other formats with large amounts of data are mainly used for image processing. Additional information can be saved in the form of Exif data which can then be added to files. JPEG, RAW, TIFF, Exif: do these terms sound familiar but you have no idea what they are all about? We will explain the most important image formats.
JPEG: The Most Popular Choice
JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group and refers to the most popular file format for pictures. Thanks to how they are compressed and coded, JPEG files are capable of storing high-quality photos even with a limited amount of storage space. JPEG covers a range of 16.7 million colours and is supported by almost all popular apps and cameras. The JPEG format is especially well-suited for pictures with flowing and smooth transitions. However, it is less suitable for complex image editing processes like photo montage.
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HEIF: The Modern All-Round Talent
A few years ago, a new file format appeared on the scene: the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF). While iPhone users have been able to take pictures, live photos and more in this format for some time, it is now also available on the latest top cameras from various manufacturers as well as new Windows and Android devices. It is often referred to as the ‘new JPEG’ as it compresses image data more efficiently and supports other media types such as audio files, videos and live photos or GIFs as a container format. To summarise, HEIF offers better image quality with less data volume than a JPEG. Nevertheless, JPEG has been established for decades and still works perfectly today. Therefore, the HEIF format will likely exist alongside the JPEG for the time being instead of replacing it.
TIFF: High Definition for Printing and Data Transfer
The Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) was originally developed for saving scanned raster graphics. In addition to PDF and EPS, it’s a common file format for exchanging data in prepress. Contrary to the JPEG format, TIFF supports CMYK profiles, which are used in printing. Thanks to its high colour depth, TIFF files are often used for exchanging images without losing any detail. Due to their very high quality, pictures that are saved as a TIFF file are considerably larger in size.
RAW: Raw Data for Maximum Editing Options
The raw data from a camera is labelled as a RAW file. Different file endings are used depending on the manufacturer. Even though almost every camera is capable of providing raw data, a universal standard has yet to be established. The benefit of saving pictures as RAW files is that there is no loss of quality or colour nuances. Special software makes it possible to edit the photos later. This allows you to edit the definition, tonal values, saturation, and white balance. Since RAW files are not compressed, the file sizes tend to be quite large.
Exif Data: Helpful Information About Your Image
The Exchangeable Image File Format (Exif) is a standard format for saving metadata in digital photos. This data is displayed in the header of the photo’s file and can contain information about the picture itself as well as the hardware used. Typical Exif entries are the date and time the picture was taken, orientation, focal length, exposure time, and ISO value. Professionals often also add information about the creator of the photo as well as copyright. Compressed JPEG files as well as non-compressed TIFF and RAW photos support Exif data.
