Two of the most popular web image graphic formats are JPEG and GIF. Perhaps, you have encountered them in trying to edit and save pictures, graphics and images especially in doing web site design services.

Perhaps, there can also be some confusion forming cobwebs at the back of your mind. The dilemma may involve their proper use. Thus, you must zero in on what's best for your graphics.

To give you a clear-cut idea on when to use them, here are the rules of thumb:

1. If your graphics are created on your computer like buttons, logos, line drawings, animations and horizontal rules, you have to use the GIF format.

2. If your agendum is to delve on scanned pictures and images, you have to use JPEG.

What do you think is the reason why JPEG is preferred when it comes to photographs? It is simple. JPEG has more complex color patters that can accommodate the needs of photographs. This format enables you to save pictures and images with lots of colors say millions of them.

JPEG, short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, contains 24-bit or 16.7 + million colors. It stores the information of images by observing and following the track of color changes.

GIF or Graphics Interchange Format, on the other hand, contains a maximum of 8-bi or 256 colors. This format is good for graphic files customizations. What is the drawback of using this format? One is that the colors you choose may not be similar to the final color. This is because it picks up colors in its 256-color palette. Thus, dithering occurs. This is evident when you zoom in on your image.

Dithering is a process of tricking the eye into believing that the color it sees is solid by using two-different colors in its palette. Nonetheless, pixels in the GIF version change from side to side from dark to light. This does not happen to JPEG versions. With the latter, what results is one solid color.

In a nutshell, JPEG was designed to compress photographs, detailed artworks and other analogous images. This format handles faint shadings and color blends better than GIF. Nevertheless, the latter has special features which are good for animation, interlacing and transparency.

The next time you get entangled with a situation which needs your wisdom in choosing the right thing especially between JPEG and GIF, you sure know how to handle it!

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