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Open Campus of The University of the West Indies

COURSE: EDID6508: Developing Instructional Media

FILE FORMAT REPORT

Prepared for Dr. Leroy Hill

Course Coordinator

Prepared by Jane Pierre

Student

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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File Formats 4
Categories of file format 5

Data compression 6
Characteristics of common type of image extension
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BMP 5
Type chapter title (level 3) 6

Table of contents
A: Raster images

1. JPEG

2. GIF

3. PNG

4. TIFF

5. RAW

6. PSD

B: Vector images

7. PDF

8. EPS
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File Formats
Want to store your numerous digital data files on your computer and like
the Thinker, dont know which image format to select. Well worry no more to
select the best file format you first need to understand image file format. Whether a
person is creating or working with images, video or music files, it is essential to
know the advantages and disadvantages of each format and when to use each type.
Basically, using the wrong format can ruin a file or make it too cumbersome to be
used.
With the advent of the Internet, came an industry standard for: uniquely naming
image files, specifying how these files should be stored and displayed was
developed. This standard is referred to as an image file format or file format for
short. Numerous image file types exists, each created for a specific purpose and
each file type having pros and cons for its use. According to (Fisher,2016) file
extension, sometimes called file suffix or a filename extension, is the character or
group of characters after the period that make up an entire file name. File
extensions like: .jpeg, .gif, .png, .bmp and .tif are seen after an images file name
and helps a computers operating system, like Windows, determine which program
on your computer the file is associated with.
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Categories of image file format

There are two types of digital graphics files vector

and raster graphics files.
Vector images, are made of thin lines and curves known as paths, and are
rooted in mathematical theory. Any of the lines and curves in the image can be
assigned a colour value. Because of this defined, formulaic approach to drawing,
each Vector image can be sized and scaled repeatedly and limitlessly without
losing resolution or beginning to look cloudy or pixelated.
Vector image can be identified by looking at its edges vector image always
appear smooth no matter how large it is make it or how close you zoom in. Text is
one of the most common types of vector image. No matter how much you increase
a fonts size, for example, its look never changes. Vector images are the No. 1
option when designing or creating a logo or illustration.
Raster images are often called bitmap images because they are made of
millions of tiny squares, called pixels. A raster or bitmap image can be identified
easily by looking at it very closely. Zooming in on the image, highlights the square
outlines of each pixel in the image. Raster graphics typically have larger file sizes
than their vector counterparts.
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Data compression
Data represents the limitless symbols, characters and objects characters that are
created, processed and stored on the Internet. Data compression is the action of
storing and sending data into smaller bits of information across the Internet. As
more and more information is generated over the Internet, the size of the bytes
required to represent the data also increases.
The number of bytes required to represent multimedia data is very enormous. For
example, in order to digitally represent 1 second of video without compression
(using the CCIR 601 format), we need more than 20 megabytes, or 160 megabits.
Considering that the number of seconds in a movie is huge, one can see why data
compression is needed.
There are two main methods of compressing data, these are: Lossless Data
Compression and Lossy Data Compression.

DATA
COMPRESSION

LOSSLESS LOSSY DATA

DATA COMPRESSION
COMPRESSION
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Lossy and Lossless data compression

Each raster image file is either lossless or lossy, depending on how the
format handles your image data.
Lossless image formats capture all of the data of your original file. Nothing
from the original file, photo, or piece of art is losthence the term lossless. The
file may still be compressed, but all lossless formats will be able to reconstruct
your image to its original state.
Lossy image formats approximate what your original image looks like. For
example, a lossy image might reduce the amount of colours in your image or
analyze the image for any unnecessary data. These clever technical tricks will
typically reduce the file size, though they may reduce the quality of your image.
Typically, lossy files are much smaller than lossless files, making them ideal to use
online where file size and download speed are vital. Lossy compression (such as
JPEG) achieves its effect at the cost of a loss in image quality, by removing some
image information.
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Characteristics of common
type of image extension
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File Format File Format Graphic file File File F

Extensions Type Compression

& name
.bmp Raster image Lossy Bitmap should be used
Bitmap independent of the display
Dont use: when scaling o

.esp Primarily used as Lossless EPS should be used when

Encapsulated vector but can be a A vector logo, such as crea
PostScript raster image Adobe Illustrator needs to
of the logo does not matter
will be correct.
Dont use with photograp
.gif GIF should be used when
Raster image Lossless
Graphic of web animations with tra
Interchange Dont use GIF in situatio
Format layered editable images or

.jpeg Raster image Lossy JPEG is one of the most w

Joint used when: dealing with
Photographic images like banner ads and
Experts Group work at high resolution.
Dont use: when a web g
editable image is needed.
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File Format File Format Graphic File

Extensions file Type Compression

& name
.pct Raster Lossless PCT is a forma
An acronym image These are imag
for PiCTure which are desig
picture formats.
Apple QuickDra
Dont use: when
Raster Lossy Has been repla
.pcx
image when: support i
size matters as it
.pdf Both Vector Both Lossless PDF is NOT I
Portable and Raster and Lossy printers and sho
Document Image Dont use: whe
Format efficient method
.png Raster Lossless PNG should be
Portable image graphics with lim
Network Dont use: whe
Graphics sizes tend to g
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File Format File Format Graphic file File

Extensions & name Type Compressio

n
.psd Vector Lossy
Photoshop Document

.tga Raster Lossless

Also known as TARGA
where TARGA stands for
Truevision Advanced Raster
Graphics Adapter
.tiff Raster image Lossless
Tagged Image File Format

.wmf Vector image Lossy

Windows Metafile Format

REFERENCE
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https://99designs.com/blog/tips/image-file-types/
https://fstoppers.com/education/infographic-everything-you-need-know-about-jpg-png-
gif-tiff-and-bmp-file-formats-89432

https://fileinfo.com/extension/pct

http://users.wfu.edu/matthews/misc/graphics/formats/formats.html
http://www.iaaf.uwa.edu.au/imagetype.html
http://www.imgprint.com/Specifications/Glossary.asp
http://www.catenary.com/prodsumm/filetyps.html
http://www.scantips.com/basics09.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_file_format#JPEG
http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/grantm/grfxext.htm
http://www.ed-brandt.com/pdfs/digital-graphics-primer.pdf
http://www.filetypehelp.com/open-files-pct-file-extension/
https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/digformatspecs/WindowsMet
afileFormat(wmf)Specification.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/katyfleetham/file-
types-pro-forma-2