Choosing the image format

There are various types of file formats available for images used on the web. Selecting the appropriate image format for your website is crucial for achieving faster page load times and improved overall performance.

JPG (JPEG)

JPEG format is the most popular image file format used online. It is well-suited for photographs or complex images containing numerous colors, shadows, gradients, or patterns. JPGs offer a wide color palette to work with, and they provide the flexibility to save images in various quality settings, balancing image quality and file size.

Tip: For photographic content, use JPG format to maintain a good balance between image quality and loading speed. If your image is mostly words or graphic elements, go with PNG which is described below.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

PNG format is ideal for designs, infographics, images with text, and logos. It offers higher quality than JPEGs, but it typically results in larger file sizes. PNGs are well-suited for areas of color and text with crisp lines, ensuring that you can zoom in without sacrificing quality. Moreover, PNG supports transparent backgrounds, making it an excellent choice for creating logos and graphics with overlays.

Tip: When saving PNGs, opt for the 24-bit format over the 8-bit format to achieve better quality and a richer palette of supported colors.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

GIF is an image format ideal for animated images, such as product demos or screenshots, due to its small file size and support for animation. Read our tutorial on adding animated .gif images to your site.