Are you running a blogging website? If yes, then you might have surely come across a situation where you had difficulty figuring out which file format to choose for the photos that you are going to upload. So, to resolve this issue we have curated this article that focuses on this most searched query which file format is ideal for web photos?
Which file format is ideal for web photos?
As we all know, the internet is a very cluttered place, and hence, choosing the right file format can help you gain a good amount of traction for your website.
But due to tons of options available, many of us tend to get confused between them, which leads us to pick up the wrong file format, which misfires, especially when the entire goal is to make the website snappier without compromising the quality of photos.
So, to help you with the same, we dug up the internet and found that one perfect file format that is snappier, takes a small amount of space, and doesn’t ruin the photo quality much.
The file format that is ideal for web photos is the JPG or JPEG format.
Want to know why?
Well, move on to the next segment for clarification where we will be explaining what is a JPEG format and why it is the best for web photos.
What is a JPEG file format and why is it best for web photos?
To start with, a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a photo file format that falls under raster-based images. Now, raster images are made up of rectangular pixels which hold every detail of the photo inside it.
Due to its raster-based format, this file format holds a lossy compression feature. Meaning, when stretched or compressed a user can witness the loss of some minute details that the file holds, thus making it fairly acceptable.
Further adding it is a file format best used with digital cameras and the web because of its compression and universal support.
Although, this lossy compression is not that much evident to the human eye, and therefore, this makes JPEGs perfect for web photos as they can be loaded quickly, which again is an important factor for a good user experience.
Additionally, JPEGs are also compatible with most web browsers and image editing software, so it is a win-win situation for both creators as well as the audience.
Note: JPEG must be saved with the correct file size and resolution for better results.
Now, there are other two file formats; namely PNG, and WEBP that are also compatible with web photos.
So, let’s keep the discussion going.
What is a PNG format?
Portable Network Graphics also known as PNG is another great file format if you want to upload photos to your website.
Now, this particular file format falls under the lossless category, so even if you compress it, it won’t lose any digital data, color and details to be precise.
However, like PNG it is also based on the rector image format, which again can cause pixelation problem when scaled.
So, it is much better to use the PNG file format for graphics with fewer colors and rapid transitions between colors. For example, simple illustrations, logos and icons.
What is a WebP format?
WebP as the name suggests is a file format for websites that was developed by Google in 2010 with the intention to provide better lossless and lossy file compression.
The main USP of this file format is that it compresses the image in such a way that it saves server space without compromising the sharpness of the original image. This will directly result in less data consumption and faster downloads.
But sadly, the WebP format is not compatible with most of the CMS platforms and needs a plugin or a workaround.
Why should you still use web photos in 2023?
Web photos are a boon when it comes to optimizing one’s website and making it look attractive. However, there are a few more reasons why you should consider updating your website with images in the year 2023.
For instance, using web photos can;
- Help a website in gaining more clicks because we as humans prefer visual things first over written ones. So, you should try putting some images on the websites, even ones with low domain authority.
- Increases SEO ranking because images are considered a crucial part of SEO. So, why not make that extra effort to get a Higher Search Engine Ranking with images?
- Help you define your content more, giving it a proper direction and hence bringing the content to life.
- Help in boosting social media presence because mostly everything is connected to search engines. So, if your social media game is right you might end up at a good place over the internet.
Conclusion:
Whether you are a user or a website owner, speed, optimisation and a smooth surfing experience should always be your priority when on the internet.
And hence, we recommend using JPEG as your image file format for web photos, which is not only ideal for website performance but also saves tons of space on website servers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the benefit of using images on websites?
Images are a visual treat to an individual. Plus it is very easy to understand things from an image rather than text.
So, the more images, the more attractive your website will look. And the more attractive it looks, the more audience it will grab.
How many categories of images are there?
There are two categories of images; vector and raster.
Which file format should you avoid for the web?
You should avoid using the BMP file format for the web content.
