Which File format is good for Rich Photography and Why?

Everyone likes photographs that are vivid and possess a certain amount of depth in them. The fine-tuned colour that brings the image to life is all we love about a photo. But have you wondered how that is achieved? If you say it’s all in the device, then you are partially correct! The right answer is to export the file in the best file format. And in this article, we will look at which file format is best suited for colour photographs.

Which File Format Is Best Suited for Color Photographs and Why?

There are a plethora of different file types that are considered suitable for Photography. Still, only three file formats are considered best: TIFF, RAW, and JPEG.

Before we go into the depth of why only these two formats are the best suited for your rich color photography, it’s essential to understand what a file format is and how it can affect your Photography. 

What Is a File Format and How Does It Affect Your Photography?

We all are aware of different file formats. From childhood, we have come across extensions like .png and .jpg at the end of a file’s name. But have you ever wondered what they really do? And how it affects the file?

A file format is a standardised way dedicated digital information is stored. Different modes of information, such as music, video, and Images, have different requirements. Hence, they are saved in various formats.

The quality of these file formats dictates the quality of your file in question. For example, in Photography, your image’s quality and versatility greatly depend on the file format you store it in.

These file formats come with different characteristics and capabilities. Therefore there are various advantages and disadvantages of choosing one file over the other.

Comparing TIFF, JPEG, and RAW image formats and looking at their Pros and Cons

TIFF, JPEG, and RAW are some of the most popular and most commonly used file formats for Photography. Each form has its own pros as well as cons that are listed below:

TIFF: 

Pros:

  • Since TIFF supports Lossless compression, it can provide users with a high-quality image.
  • It is popular among designers and editors because it supports multiple layers, making it easy for them to edit images on software like Photoshop.
  • A TIFF file is universally accepted by every popular image editing software, making it more accessible for editors.

Cons:

  • The lossless compression in TIFF files often makes them less convenient for storing on local drives. 
  • They are not meant for local sharing, as this file format is not supported by local media viewers but only by specialised high-end software.

JPEG:

Pros:

  • JPEG files are smaller in size; hence it is easy to share or store them.
  • Compatibility is another major factor that makes them very popular. A JPEG file can be easily stored and accessed from laptops and mobile phones.

Cons:

  • This file format supports Lossy compression. Meaning that you lose data when you save your image in this format.
  • It also offers limited editing capabilities due to image’s reduced or compressed quality.

RAW:

Pros: 

  • As the name suggests, the RAW file is your image’s original version. It sustains all the details captured in your photograph to give you maximum editing control.
  • This file format is not compressed; hence you can enjoy high-quality images captured from your device.

Cons:

  • Since it’s a lossless compressed file, a RAW file’s size is much larger than that of a JPEG. Hence, making it hard to transfer it from person to person.
  • Also, like TIFF, every device does not support this file format. And needs to be converted into.PNG or. JPEG for sharing purposes.

How to decide the correct format for your rich Photography?

Having understood the different formats that offer a rich look to your photographs, we come down to the final point, which is why we need to choose a specific format in the first place.

Well, the answer to this is simple. Each format serves a different purpose. Hence, we need to understand what we want with our photographs.

And then, we can align it with the purpose served by these file formats to choose the best option. 

Below are some of the factors that you can consider before choosing the suitable format for your Photography:

  • Quality: If you are looking for the highest image quality, then you have to go with the RAW format, as it stores data in its original form. In contrast, JPEG and TIFF use compression.
  • Editing capabilities: RAW and TIFF are the right choices for this requirement. RAW offers you great details to play with, while TIFF supports multiple layers.
  • Convenience: When it comes to storing and sharing images frequently, JPEG takes the front seat. It is small and compatible while retaining an excellent picture quality. 

Conclusion:

 Photography is an art, and to produce it in its best form, it is essential to understand the correct file format. And in this article, we have tried to help you with that aspect. And hope that you now know which file format is good for rich Photography and why.

FAQ’s:

What is the full form of the RAW file format?

The image file format RAW literally stands for RAW Image File. This file format provides the highest image quality and gives you maximum control over editing and adjustments.

What are the differences between lossless and lossy compression? 

Lossless compression is a method of reducing file size without losing any data. Lossy compression, on the other hand, discards some of the data in order to reduce file size.

Lossy compression can result in the degradation of image or audio quality, while lossless compression maintains the original quality.

What are some common image file formats?

Standard image file formats include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and RAW.

Author

  • Ashish Simon

    Hello folks! I am Ashish Pawar – A graduate from the field of Arts but an avid admirer of all things tech; therefore, made a leap into writing technical articles for ‘how-to’ guides and ‘informational content’ with the aim to make tech understandable for the masses. I have been in this field for more than a year now. My ideology is that even a layman should be able to understand tech easily. As a creative individual I am also passionately engaged in activities like photography, music, and dance.