If you have the ambition to build a professional website or make changes to your existing websites, you will likely come across multiple file types. The basic types of files, such as .jpg, .png, .gif, and .pdf, have created a cluster of digital items on the Internet. Unless you have a degree in IT or have something to do with a computer business, you would likely have no idea what these terms are about. Recently, the trends have changed as even the medical panels have started gaining interest in digital computer files because it overlaps with their work.
Even if you are a website designer and don’t know more than the abbreviation of these files, you must know how these files are used. For example, you want to deliver a particular file to your boss. What file type will you use to send it? You must know the difference between these files and know what kind of files are well-suited for each aspect of your professional work.
Categories of File Formats
1) Raster File
Raster files are a combination of pixels or individual blocks. JPEG, GIF, and PNG all come in the bracket of raster file examples. In simple words, they are different types of files organized in a certain way to convey a brand message. As pixels have a specified proportion according to their resolution (either high or low), they cannot be modified a lot.
You cannot stretch these images to fill up spaces and create a distorted version out of them. As a result, these images will become blurry or unclear, and your target audience will probably not like them. Even though resizing images is not a bad option all the time, it is not recommended to professionals in today’s market. By resizing the image, you may change the dimensions according to your demands, but you will compromise on the image quality.
2) Vector File
Vector images are much clearer than raster images. If you are focusing on these types of files, you must know that they are built using promotional formulas rather than pixels. EPS, SVG, and PDF are all examples of this type of file. These are the kind of files that require frequent resizing, and they are ideal for creating quality graphics. If you want to create a website logo or a brand image for your website, you must create those images in vector format.
Vector images are ideal for your website as they can tick all the boxes, from being your website's brand image to the product image displayed on your website’s gallery section. The best thing about a vector image is that the image dimensions can be as small as a postage stamp or big enough to fit on an 18-wheeler. When you build your website on Strikingly, you can integrate your website logo on the landing page. The website logo will give an identity to your platform and will be saved in the memory of your recurring customers. Even if they don’t remember your website URL, they will have an idea about some aspects of your landing page, and the logo can be one of them.
Type of File Formats
1) JPG
JPG, also known as JPEG, are the initials of the term “Joint Photographic Experts Group.” These files are usually used in photographs and images because they can be compressed to accommodate large pieces of information. This is the type of file format that is associated with mobile cameras to store images.
Image taken from Strikingly
However, the bad news is that the compression of images is not necessarily an advantage. JPG photos tend to have unclear compression, meaning the images lose their original quality. These types of files are not recommended for printing purposes but can be effective when used on websites. For printing purposes, it is better to use PNG or PDF format files.
2) TIFF
TIFF is the initial term “Tagged Image File Format.” These types of files are huge as they accommodate a lot of data. This file type is ideal for printing because it can be saved in all colors, including greyscale. Moreover, this type of file format has an uncompressed nature. However, these images are not recommended for uploading because they may slow down your website. The viewers will never wait for more than three seconds to load your website or web pages, so you should choose an alternative option.
If you have Adobe Photoshop experience, these files could suit you. These files are associated with photo editing and layout software like Quark or Adobe InDesign. As these images are of high quality, you can create or modify high-definition designs.
3) PNG
As we have mentioned previously, the JPG files may lose their quality upon editing. However, Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is an example of the types of files that do not belong to the same bracket. You will not compromise the image’s original quality if you edit the PNG files. This type of file format is not recommended for printing purposes but can be ideal for displaying on websites. Looking at the created websites on Strikingly, you will find many examples in which the website owner has displayed website images in PNG format.
If we draw a comparison with JPG files, we will give the edge to PNG because you can save them with transparent backgrounds. As a result, you can use these images for marketing purposes or to create a new design. PNG files are slightly bigger than JPEG files, which is why they aren’t preferable for larger photos. The best thing about PNG files is that they are best suited to favicon images. For those unaware, a favicon icon is a 16×16 pixel icon that allows users to identify your website when multiple tabs open in their browser.
4) GIF
If you are going through your social media platforms regularly, you must have an idea about GIFs. GIF is the initials of the term “Graphic Interchange Format” and is one of the most common types of files used on social media. It has some similarities with the JPEG file type because it is eligible for compression but also has some contrasts simultaneously. The first difference, which can be clearly seen, is that GIFs are classified as animated images.
Even though the GIFs can be compressed like JPEG files, they are much larger. Like PNG files, GIFs are ideal for creating quality visuals and graphics. They don’t lose their quality after resizing.
5) PDF
PDFs were initially developed by Adobe so that users can visualize and review documents and visuals on any portable platform, web browser, or operating system. Unlike all of the previous types of files that we have mentioned so far, this file type is ideal for both websites and printing purposes.
Even though these kinds of files have an excellent vector foundation, they can display both the raster and the vector graphics, combined with forms, spreadsheets, and much more. You must have a PDF version of your documentation because printing companies require them from different businesses.
Integrate Images on Your Strikingly Website
Image taken from Strikingly
Professional websites is all about solid visuals and graphics these days. If you cannot make a quality website for your professional or personal work, you will not make it attractive to the target audience. Regardless of the types of files you choose, you must organize them to make them look pleasing to the eye. Strikingly is a free website builder that allows you to properly add and manage your website images.
If you have an eCommerce website, the significance of website images increases as you have to showcase your products. When you make a list of all the images you want to add, make sure that you haven’t compromised on their quality and that they are also not large at the same time. If you upload an image large in size on your Strikingly website, your website speed may go down. Apart from that, it is also vital that you don’t add all your images without doing homework. You should be selective of your images and always choose the best ones out of your collection.
If you have a blog section on your eCommerce website, you can also include your images as part of your published blogs. The blogs' images will give readers a source of attraction. It is essential that the photos you add are relevant to your topic and don’t have a poor background. You can also attach the YouTube videos to your blog so that readers go through your content entirely.
Conclusion
As a professional, you must understand the difference between the types of files that you have at your disposal. Even though it is not the biggest priority, it comes in handy as you would avoid amateur goof-ups. As you would have learned about the different file formats through this content, it is time to focus on the more significant projects. However, first things first, you shouldn’t proceed before signing up on Strikingly to make your job easier.
If you are finding any difficulties in uploading your website images, you can talk to our Happiness Officers. With a combination of different images across multiple formats, you will give plenty of encouraging signs to your viewers.
