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The Nerd Knows-JPG versus. GIF: What's the Diff?
Q. What's the difference between a GIF and a JPG file?
A. Graphics in their natural state are often too large
to be quickly downloaded and displayed,
so they need to be compressed (reduced) in size.
The most popular compression formats are GIF and JPG.
Compressing graphics with either format does not reduce the dimensions of a given image,
it just reduces the overall size of a graphics file.
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. Most people pronounce it with a soft "g" as in "jiff." Years ago, however, when CompuServe first introduced GIF format and people started pronouncing it that way, the Jif Peanut Butter folks took exception to the pronunciation. Technically, the format should be pronounced with a hard "g" as in "gift" or (duh) "graphics," but their nutty objection notwithstanding, most people still refer to items in the GIF file format as "jiff" files.
JPG or JPEG (pronounced JAY-peg) stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. The JPG format reduces files to approximately five percent of their uncompressed size. Photographs and graphics with lots of colors that blend and fade into one another are best served by the JPG format. This format enables users to save images with millions of colors, while GIF format is limited to 256 colors.
If given the choice between the two formats, you can't go wrong if you select JPG.
"The Nerd" (Richard Sherman) is an author, syndicated columnist, radio host, publisher and proud father of four kitties. Send questions to TheNerdKnows@gmail.com.
