Many of us are familiar with the JPEG, PNG, and GIF image formats, but not everyone thinks about how they came about and why they are chosen for different purposes. The history dates back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, and in this article we will delve deeper into this period, as well as gradually move on to the present and the formats of the future.

The beginning of digital graphics. The first formats

In 1987, the first significant format for storing digital images was developed – GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format. It was so revolutionary because of its lossless compression and support for animations, paving the way for advertising and multimedia products on the Internet. GIF was the first format that actually allowed you to store multiple images in one file, creating the first animations. However, it had a limited color palette of only 256 colors, which was a problem for more complex photos.

The JPEG revolution

With the development of digital photography in the 1990s, it became apparent that standard formats could not cope with the requirements for storing large amounts of color data. Therefore, in 1992, the JPEG format was approved by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG quickly became the standard for digital photography due to its ability to compress images without significant loss of quality. Photographers and web designers were now able to store more images on their hard drives and upload them to websites faster. This format is still the most popular for photos due to its ability to compress even large images without significant quality loss. However, the problem with quality loss during repeated saving remained.

PNG – with transparency and without loss of quality

However, the previous JPEG format was not suitable for storing images with transparency or those that required high quality without loss. A little later, in 1996, the PNG format – Portable Network Graphics – was developed to solve this problem. It supports transparency, so it can be used for logos, banners, and graphics on websites without any problems. A small disadvantage, perhaps, is that PNG is not able to compress files as efficiently as JPEG, resulting in large file sizes.

WebP

And over time, when animations became popular on the Internet, the GIF format became a symbol of the first wave of memes. Yet, as we mentioned above, it also had its limitations, namely a low color palette and large file size for long animations. Therefore, in order to maintain high quality and reduce file size at the same time, Google introduced a new format in 2010 – WebP. It combines the advantages of JPEG (high compression) and PNG (transparency support), allowing you to achieve high image quality with much smaller file sizes. And in 2011, this format began to support animations, which became another advantage. At the time of its launch, WebP was not supported by all web browsers, so users had to consider compatibility, which limited its popularity. A short period of time later, Google began to actively promote WebP.

The choice of the new generation – HEIF

With the rapid development of smartphones and their ability to capture high-quality images on the go, HEIF – High Efficiency Image Format – has become the new standard for storing images in mobile devices. This format stores high-quality images with a minimal file size, which is very convenient for smartphones with limited memory. By the way, HEIF uses advanced compression technology and supports multi-frame images – you can store not only photos but also short videos. For example, Apple’s iPhone started using HEIF to save photos and videos in 2017, and this format is gaining popularity in the world of mobile technology.

Formats of the future

AVIF is an open source image format developed on the basis of the AV1 video codec. Its main advantage is much more efficient image compression compared to existing analogs such as HEIF and WebP. What does this mean in practice? AVIF directly allows you to achieve a significantly smaller image file size while maintaining high quality and detail. In some cases, it can provide similar image quality at a file size 50% smaller than JPEG and 20-30% smaller than WebP. This advantage is critical for optimizing websites and mobile applications. Smaller file sizes mean Faster page loading. Users get access to content instantly. Saving traffic. Especially important for users of mobile devices with limited data plans. Reducing the load on servers. Websites and services can serve more users with lower traffic costs. AVIF support is gradually expanding. Currently, it is supported by major web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, and partially by Safari. It is expected that over time, support for the format will become even more widespread.

Some interesting facts

JPEG and Mars

Images of Mars taken by NASA’s rovers were transferred in JPEG format for efficient storage and transmission. All this demonstrates how important the format is for science and research.

Saving data with WebP

Google says that using WebP can reduce the amount of data a user consumes by 30-50% when browsing websites, especially those with a lot of images.

HEIF and Live Photos

HEIF can store not only images but also metadata, such as geolocation. Apple’s Live Photos uses this format, allowing you to store short videos alongside photos.

AVIF – the choice of ecology

Using AVIF helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the Internet. The less data that needs to be transmitted, the less energy servers consume.

JPEG is the most widely used image format in the world

Today, JPEG is the most popular image format due to its versatility. According to experts, more than 70% of all images on the Internet are stored in this format. This success is due to the balance between image quality and small file size, which is ideal for uploading photos to websites, social networks, and storing them on devices with limited storage.