Taking a few moments to consider file types can help you take amazing smartphone images. Different types of files can enable you to edit the image in more detail. Have you ever heard of these different file formats? JPG, TIFF, GIF, RAW, HEIF/HEVC. There are so many but a few tips will help you learn how to take great pictures.
File Types for Smartphone Images
JPG
JPG files are one of the most used formats for pictures everywhere. Most images are saved as a JPG but JPG images are compressed. Compressed smartphone image files are a slight reduction of the original file to save space. Usually, the compression is so minimal that there is only a minor loss of detail. Therefore, this file type is great for mobile phones because it takes us less space and is easy to transfer via the internet or through email. Printing large images from JPGs may not look as great and loose some detail.
TIFF
TIFF image files create fantastic shots and have been popular for professional printers. TIFFs are sometime compressed, but are normally saved as uncompressed. This creates a better image than a JPG. TIFF files are very big and take up a lot of space. One TIFF file is a lot larger than one JPG. So, if you have limited storage space taking a lot TIFF files will fill up the space on your phone.
GIF
GIFs smartphone images are a widely used web image format that is often used on social media as those funny memes. They are also used to show a simple action over and over on banner adds or emails. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and the creator of GIF says it like “JIFF” as in Jiffy peanut butter. GIFs can be customized with different settings to make the image loop. The settings may reduce the amount of information and file size. GIFs are great for web animation and can hold all of the frames and timing in one single file. This drastically decreases file size.
RAW
Raw smartphone images are unprocessed and contain the data captured on the cell phone camera. These images are normally used for taking a picture. and then edited in an app. With raw images you get better edits and easily enhance the image. After you edit the image you can convert the image as a JPG. If you have an android go to the pro settings to shoot in RAW. To shoot in RAW on a iPhone you must use a manual app. VSCO is a free app that allows you the options to shoot in RAW.
HEIF/HEVC
HEIF/HEVC are new file types that are used for iPhones with iOS 11. HEIF stands for high efficiency image file format and is for photos. HEVC stands for high efficiency video coding and is used to compress video. These image files take up less space on your devices and iCloud Photo Library. They still have the same visual quality. One of the disadvantages with this format is sometimes it is hard to send it to other devices or apps like Google Photos.
Each file type for smartphone images has different benefits and disadvantages. Therefore, understanding what you use the image for and the best format can quickly improve your mobile photography.
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