Index >> About Us >> Privacy >> Terms of Use >> Add Url >> Submit Article

Search:



		Drink & Food

		Computers & Networking

		Policies & Law

		Property & Estate

		Education & Learning

		Investment & Finance

		Health & Hygiene

		Careers & Employment

		Automotive

		Self Help

		Technology & Science

		Art & Creative

		Recreation & Entertainment

		Business & Commerce

		Lifestyle & Fashion

		Healthcare & Medicine

		Issues & News

		Travel & Vacation

		Malls & Shopping

		Family & Home

		Games & Play

		Adventure & Sports

		People & Society

		Teens & Kids

Index –› Art & Creative –› Art Photography

PNG is replacing GIF files for digital graphic storage

GIF is one of the oldest file formats used for graphics and digital photos storage. GIF has many technical advantages but it also has one big business disadvantage. GIF uses LZW compression which is tangled with patents and licensing issues. The free creation and usage of GIF files was always in debate.
While GIF is a great format for the storage of graphics the usage of GIF files represents some licensing issues. Specifically GIF uses the LZW compression algorithms that are patented and not free to use. GIF became so popular that practically it is used in many places without any practical licensing issues but regardless of the problem being practical and real it drove some industry groups to get organized in order to find a way to solve it once and for all.
One solution that was suggested and implemented was to create a completely new file format that will simply replace the old GIF. This format was called PNGPortable Network Graphicsand it was designed to be as efficient as GIF but free for use without any risk of licensing or patents issues. PNG was also designed in the Internet era and as such was designed with Internet and networks usage in mind.
Both GIF and PNG were designed and are mostly used for storing graphics. Some people confuse graphics with digital photos although the two are completely different. Graphics are usually computer generated pictures that are built from some basic geometrical objects such as rectangles, triangles and circles. These objects can be combined in complicated ways, colored, filled, brushed, different textured can be used and more. Digital photos on the other hand are generated by digital cameras and by shooting photos of real objects. Digital photos are not built of discrete objects. There are technical implications to that difference mainly in how compression is implemented. For example it is easier to compress graphics (since it is built of known objects and more homogenous colors) than to compress digital photos (since they include areas of different colors, usually some noise and slight variations in colors in each pixel).
To conclude here are short explanations of what the GIF and the PNG formats are:
GIFGraphics Interchange Format: An old file format initiated by CompuServe. It uses a lossless LZW compression and is thus more efficient than BMP files. GIF files are very efficient for storing basic graphics (that include lines, circles and other graphical shapes) and also efficient for storing small digital photos but are rarely used to store large digital photos as there are more efficient formats for that purpose. GIF files can also include multiple 'frames' and support basic animation.
PNGPortable Network Graphics: This relatively new format was designed to be used in online applications such as web pages. It uses a lossless compression. The original goal of the PNG format was to replace GIF (due to some licensing complications associated with the GIF format). PNG is commonly used now by online web sites to represent small digital photos or graphics replacing the GIF format.

Author: ziv haparnas

Author Bio:

Mr. Haparnas writes about technology and digital photography. You can find more information on digital photo printing and photography in general on printrates.com - a site dedicated to digital printing This article can be published as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. Ziv Haparnas is an expert in technology.

How Record Pools Can Make Musicians Rich!

Compressed digital photo file formats ?C storing digital photos

A Brief History of Creation

Travel Tips ? Taking Your Camera on a Vacation With You

Capture The Moment: Create A Photo Album

How to Easily Create 100s of Articles This Week without Writing a Single Word

Is Your Ebay Income Taxable?

Lennon Asked To: Give Peace A Chance

Elvis Presley.. A Man for His Times

Learning Guitar The Smart Way

Give to Get - A "Free" Music Philosophy

For today's musicians and bands, the music should be a gateway to profit, not the profit center. (

Country Music Is No Mere Genre

Country Music has been associated with cowboy hats and boots. The fact is that apparel has got nothi ... - Ben Franklin

Auction Tips For Sellers And Bidders

At first glance, selling and buying items online would appear to be as easy as sending an email or d ... - Mikel Beck

Tips On Buying An Electric Guitar

The electric guitar is the cornerstone of an exhilarating musical experience. A good guitar will enh ... - Phil Morris

10 Secrets You Should Know Before Bidding

How to make online auction bidding? The 10 secrets provided in this articles will provide you comple ... - Pradeep Aggarwal

Index >> Privacy >> Terms of Use

PNG is replacing GIF files for digital graphic storage

Related Articles