Image Format Cheat Sheet (2026 Guide)
Every image format that matters in 2026 on one page: what each is for, when to use it, when to avoid it, and how they compare on size, quality, and support.
By Formatly
JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, SVG, TIFF, GIF, ICO — the image format landscape is genuinely confusing, and picking wrong costs you megabytes, compatibility headaches, or both. This is the one-page reference: what each format is, what it’s for, and when to use something else.
The quick-reference table
| Format | Type | Transparency | Best for | Avoid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPG | Lossy raster | No | Photos, general interchange | Graphics with text, transparency |
| PNG | Lossless raster | Yes | Logos, screenshots, graphics | Photos (huge files) |
| WebP | Lossy/lossless raster | Yes | Web photos and graphics | Print, old software |
| AVIF | Lossy/lossless raster | Yes | Web photos, HDR | Fast batch jobs, old software |
| HEIC | Lossy raster | Yes | iPhone camera storage | Sharing with non-Apple users |
| SVG | Vector | Yes | Logos, icons, diagrams | Photos (can’t do them) |
| TIFF | Lossless raster | Yes | Print, scans, archiving | Web, email, sharing |
| GIF | Lossless (256 colors) | Yes (1-bit) | Simple animations | Photos, anything modern |
| ICO | Container | Yes | Favicons | Anything except favicons |
JPG — the universal interchange format
The 30-year-old default that refuses to die, because “opens everywhere” beats “technically better” for interchange. Lossy compression tuned for photos; no transparency; no HDR. Use it for: sharing photos with anyone, print workflows, upload forms, email. Don’t use it for: logos, screenshots, anything with sharp text (it fuzzes edges), or as an editing intermediate (each save degrades).
PNG — the graphics workhorse
Lossless, with full alpha transparency. Perfect for logos, UI screenshots, diagrams, and anything with sharp edges or text. Terrible for photos — a 12 MP photo as PNG is ~7× larger than a good JPG with zero visible benefit. Pro tip: PNG-8 (256 colors) is 60–80% smaller than PNG-24 for simple graphics. Full breakdown in JPG vs PNG.
WebP — the web default
Google’s format does lossy (~30% smaller than JPG), lossless (smaller than PNG), transparency, and animation. Supported in every browser since ~2020. In 2026, WebP is the sensible default for web images — better than JPG at photos, better than PNG at graphics, and universally supported. Its only real weakness: life outside the browser (print, old software, email clients).
AVIF — the next step
The AV1-based successor: ~50% smaller than JPG at equal quality, plus HDR and wide color gamut — the only web format with real HDR support. Now supported in all current browsers. Downsides: slow encoding, heavier decoding on low-end phones, and weak support outside browsers. Use for hero images and photo-heavy pages where bytes matter most; stick with WebP when encoding speed or toolchain compatibility matters. Deep dive: AVIF explained.
HEIC — the iPhone format
What iPhones save photos as: excellent compression (about half the size of JPG), but patent-encumbered and a compatibility nightmare on Windows and Android. Think of HEIC as a capture format, not a sharing format — convert to JPG the moment a photo leaves your phone. Guide: HEIC vs JPG.
SVG — the vector exception
SVG isn’t a photo format at all — it’s code that describes shapes. Infinitely scalable, tiny files, styleable with CSS. For logos, icons, and diagrams, SVG beats every raster format simultaneously. If your graphic can be vector, it should be. (Our converter rasterizes SVGs for the rare cases you need pixels.)
TIFF — the print/archive format
Lossless, supports CMYK and 16-bit color, enormous files. Belongs in print shops and archives, not on websites. Convert to JPG for distribution: TIFF to JPG guide.
GIF — the legacy animator
256 colors, 1-bit transparency, huge files — technically obsolete, culturally immortal. For animations, WebP and AVIF animated files are a fraction of the size; for everything else, literally any other format. GIF survives on inertia and meme culture.
ICO — the favicon container
Not really an image format — a container holding multiple PNG/BMP images at different sizes so browsers can pick the right icon. You never choose ICO for content; you generate it from a PNG for your site’s favicon: PNG to ICO.
The decision flowchart
- Is it a logo, icon, or diagram? → SVG. (Need pixels? PNG, then WebP.)
- Is it a screenshot or graphic with text? → PNG (WebP for web delivery).
- Is it a photo for a website? → AVIF if you can, WebP if you can’t, JPG fallback for both.
- Is it a photo for sharing/email/print? → JPG.
- Is it for print production or archiving? → TIFF (or PNG).
- Did it come from an iPhone as HEIC? → Convert to JPG immediately.
Format conversion rules of thumb
- Always convert from the best source — never convert a JPG someone already compressed if the PNG/TIFF/RAW original exists.
- Lossy→lossless is pointless — converting JPG to PNG doesn’t recover quality, it just inflates the file.
- Keep masters, distribute derivatives — archive the TIFF/PNG/RAW; serve the WebP/AVIF/JPG.
- Batch consistently — one setting for the whole set: batch conversion guide.
Practical next steps
- Convert between formats — every pair above, in your browser.
- Optimize for the web — WebP/AVIF with fallback markup.
- Photos too heavy regardless of format? Compress them.