6 Best Image File Formats For Photographers In 2023
Updated on February 15, 2023 in Photography by Nishant Shrimali
As photographers, we want to ensure that our files and images are captured and saved in the best way possible.
We want to ensure that there is the right balance between the quality of the image and its size. Luckily, our DSLRs have various image file formats for that.
Here, I am breaking down 6 best image file formats for photographers and why to use them in the easiest way possible.
Without taking any longer, let’s get started.
6 Best Image File Formats For Photographers In 2023
RAW
As a photographer, it is highly recommended that you use RAW image format to capture your images. Why? Because of the flexibility it gives in post-production.
This image file format allows you to have 16,348 shades per color. That means you can capture the image without losing any data about the image.
Due to saving such high information, the RAW file format’s file size is much larger. (That is about 20-40 MB per image.)
But once you edit and convert the image in another image file format, you can use it for any browser or Social Media.
JPEG
JPEG is among the highly used image file formats due to its small size and the ability to be easily shared.
A JPEG file can be uploaded directly on any browser and Social media. But when compared to RAW file format, it stores much less information about the image to be edited.
It is best for capturing casual photographs for social media. But if you are practicing commercial photography, the RAW file format suits you the best.
Capture the image in RAW. Edit it and convert it into JPEG file format to gain the advantage of both worlds.
PNG
If you are working with an image that includes text or a graphic, then PNG should be your preference. Its ability to maintain details and color contrast makes it stand out.
At the same time, it supports all major browsers and platforms. Hence, giving you much-needed flexibility just like JPEG.
Although, remember that the PNG file format has a larger size, which can affect site speed. Hence, make sure you are not uploading excess PNG files on your site.
SVG
You will find that the SVG file is mainly used in logo designing. The reason is its ability easily scales without losing any data at any given stretch.
Unlike other image formats that rely on pixels, SVG files use XML text to outline shapes.
This practically allows you to create a responsive image that can vary its size per the requirements.
It is unsuitable for large drawings or images but works excellently with texts and vectors.
TIFF
If you are looking for a file format that is exceptionally supportive of editing, TIFF will be a great choice.
It stands for Tag Image File Format. It is popular among photographers and desktop publishing. And the reason is its ability to store the chuck of data together.
TIFF allows you to save critical information on size, image data arrangement, applied image compression, definition, and more.
All this gives you the ability to easily edit the image without losing any data at any given time.
PSD
PSD stands for Photoshop Document. And as you may guess, it is an image file format for Photoshop itself.
A PSD format allows you to save every aspect of image editing. This means you can easily save your filters, layers, clipping path, and everything.
In addition, you can resume editing from the same point from left to right. This functionality allows an excellent level of flexibility and lets you edit a complex image in different sessions.
It is worth mentioning that the file size of PSD will usually be large. Hence, it is not supported by any browser or platform other than Adobe Photoshop itself.
Conclusion
Image file format plays a vital role in getting the desired outcome from photography. Not only during the shoot but even during the post-production.
If you are using a low-quality file format like JPEG, the file size will be low, but it will affect the quality of details it stores.
On the other hand, image file formats like RAW can be six times larger than JPEG as they store high-quality and actionable information about the image. This helps in professional photo editing outcomes.
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