Choosing the Best Image File Type and Format

<p>We’re visual by nature and visually driven. We perceive pictures faster than words, so images are scanned first, before the text. It’s important to include images on your station website. Unfortunately, one of the most proven ways to slow down your website (especially on mobile) is to use images that are not sized and compressed properly for online use. This can vary depending on the file format.</p> <p>Images on the web come in many file formats, such as JPEGs, GIFs, PNGs, and many others. Understanding the basics will give you confidence in being able to decide what format is best in every situation.</p> <p><strong>Why Do Image File Formats Matter?</strong></p> <p>Every graphic you see online is an image file. Depending on the file type, they render in different ways and have different file sizes. Each type is intended for a specific use and matters when it comes to appearance, performance, and scalability.</p> <p>The key is to incorporate all three of these and include files on your station website that are small in file size for fast-loading and without a loss of quality. Your goal should always be to have a superlight website that loads quickly on any device and looks amazing at the same time.</p> <p><strong>What are the different image file formats?</strong></p> <p>Image formats are divided into two main categories: raster files and vector files.</p> <p><strong>Vector graphics</strong> use lines, points, and polygons to represent an image. They are best suited for logos and icons. Think of that special logo file that you would send a sign company for a t-shirt, the side of your van, or on a billboard.</p> <p>Some vector file formats include SVG, PDF, EPS, and AI.</p> <p><strong>Raster graphics</strong> use pixel values within a rectangular grid to represent an image. Unlike vectors, these file types are resolution-dependent and based on their size, meaning they can’t be scaled up without losing quality and becoming pixelated.</p> <p>Nearly all online images are in raster format, but browsers are starting