| GRAPHIC FILE FORMATS | ||
| This is a list of common graphic file formats. | ||
| File Extension | Proper Name | Description |
| .ai | Adobe Illustrator Document | Used for single-page layouts, illustrations, graphs, business cards, templates, etc. Can contain both vector and raster (bitmap) images and artwork. Requires Adobe Illustrator to open a file. |
| .bmp | Windows Bitmap | Photo/image format commonly used by Microsoft Windows programs, and the Windows operating system itself. It is not a good format for printing or online. |
| .eps | Encapsulated PostScript | Format often used for single-page graphics, such as photos, logos, illustrations, and single pages. Can often be used in place of .ai (Illustrator) format for greater compatibility with other programs. In other regards, it is very similar to an Illustrator format. |
| .fla | Flash Source File | Shockwave Flash file, created and usable only by the Macromedia Flash authoring software. It exports .swf files, which can be played in a Web browser. |
| .gif | Graphics Interchange Format | GIF is used extensively and primarily on Web sites. Supports simple animations (more complex animations should be done in Flash). Supports only 255 colors per frame. Can have transparent areas. Ideal for illustrations or logos, not photographs. |
| .html .htm | Hypertext Markup Language | HTML is the standard format for displaying Web pages. It can accommodate text, graphics, animations, video, and a variety of other interactive elements. |
| .indd | Adobe InDesign Document | Supports single- and multi-page print layouts, such as brochures, books, pamphlets, etc. It can also produce multi-page presentations with great control over layout and typography. Quickly replacing Quark format in the industry. Can be sent natively to a printer, with associated images and fonts, for production. |
| .jpg .jpeg |
Joint Photographic Experts Group | Used extensively for photos and other images. It offers varying levels of compression, with associated degradation of image quality; i.e., the more compressed, the poorer the image quality. Used extensively on the Web. It is not good for print due to the compression factor. |
| Portable Document Format | A page description language that allows for files containing multiple pages and links. Works with Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe eBook Reader, or third-party compatible software. PDF is the native format for Mac OS X. This format embeds fonts, graphics, etc., so the format remains the same on every computer. Some printers will accept PDF files for press, but they must be of print-ready quality. PDF documents generally cannot be edited; edits must be made in the source program, such as Quark, InDesign, Illustrator, etc. | |
| .pict | Picture | Default image format for Macintosh operating systems before version OS X. |
| .png | Portable Network Graphics | PNG is an image format with lossless compression primarily intended for use on the Web. It was mainly designed to replace GIFs, but without much success. |
| .ppt | PowerPoint | This is the native format for PowerPoint presentations. To ensure that a presentation does not change from one computer to another, send a pdf version of the file. Working on the same file on both Mac and PC platforms can cause problems, so the destination platform should be determined first, and the file produced on that platform only. |
| .psd | Photoshop Document | Default proprietary format for Adobe Photoshop documents. Has many extra features such as image layering, editable text, and effects. Also supported by some image editing programs other than Adobe Photoshop, e.g., Fireworks. It is completely uncompressed, so it should be considered the source file for other formats. |
| .swf | Small Web Format (a.k.a Shockwave Flash) |
Flash files can be embedded within html, or as stand-alone projectors. They are excellent at compressing vector artwork, and can also display raster images. They can be animated, and incorporate a high level of interactivity. Many applications can export SWF files, but the primary tool is Macromedia's Flash (now owned by Adobe). |
| .qxd | Quark Xpress Document |
Quark XPress source file. Quark is used for single- and multi-page layouts, such as brochures, books, pamphlets, etc. It can export several formats, including PDF, and it can be sent natively to a printer. It is quickly being surpassed by Adobe InDesign, which is considered easier to use and more sophisticated. |
| .tiff .tif |
Tagged Image File Format | TIFF is a photographic image format. Lossy and lossless compression available, but many programs only support a subset of available options. Excellent format for print output due to its high quality. |
| .wmf | Windows Metafile | Displays vector graphics and raster graphics and is often used in Microsoft Office programs, e.g., as a logo format in a letterhead. Adobe Illustrator can export to .wmf. |