Blog · Image guides

Know the format before you convert the file.

Readable, source-based guides to image formats and the practical choices behind metadata, compression, print resolution, conversion, and browser tools.

JPEG

JPEG: the photographic workhorse of the web

JPEG made digital photography practical by throwing away visual detail the eye rarely notices. It is still the default format for photos, thumbnails, uploads, and camera exports.

3 min read · Format guide PNG

PNG: lossless pixels, transparency, and dependable screenshots

PNG keeps exact pixel values, supports alpha transparency, and works beautifully for screenshots, diagrams, icons, and graphics with hard edges.

3 min read · Format guide GIF

GIF: the tiny animated loop that outlived its limits

GIF is technically limited, but culturally powerful: an indexed-color format that became the web's shorthand for lightweight looping animation.

3 min read · Format guide WebP

WebP Lossy vs Lossless: Choose Quality, Alpha, and File Size

Choose WebP mode from the pixels and workflow, not from the file extension alone. Treat color compression, alpha transparency, encoder quality, and destination support as separate checks.

4 min read · Decision guide AVIF

AVIF: AV1 compression packed into still images

AVIF packages AV1-coded image data inside the ISO base media file family, giving still images advanced compression, alpha, wide color, and HDR options.

3 min read · Format guide HEIC / HEIF

HEIC vs HEIF: What iPhone Photos Store and JPG Copies Drop

HEIF names the container structure; HEIC commonly identifies HEVC-coded images inside it. Keep the original, and make a JPG copy only for a recipient or form that needs it.

4 min read · Compatibility guide SVG

SVG: images drawn with geometry instead of pixels

SVG is a vector format: it describes shapes, text, gradients, and paths rather than storing a fixed pixel grid. That makes it perfect for icons and diagrams.

3 min read · Format guide TIFF

TIFF for Archival Scans: Compression, Pages, and Header Checks

Keep TIFF as the scan master when your archive policy calls for it. Choose an approved lossless codec, verify the header and page structure, then publish a separate access copy.

4 min read · Practical guide BMP

Windows Bitmap (BMP): Row Padding, Headers, and File Size

A BMP row occupies a multiple of four bytes. Read the file and DIB headers, calculate that aligned stride, and check the signed height before converting a working copy.

4 min read · Practical guide ICO

Favicon Formats: When to Use ICO, PNG, or SVG

Keep SVG or a high-resolution PNG as the source, declare modern favicon files explicitly, and add a multi-size ICO when one compatibility container helps.

4 min read · Comparison guide PDF

PDF: a document format that carries images with intent

PDF is not a simple image format. It is a page description format that can package images, text, vector art, fonts, metadata, and print intent.

3 min read · Format guide RAW / DNG

DNG vs RAW: Which Camera File Should You Keep?

DNG is a RAW container, not the opposite of RAW. Keep the untouched camera original while you test a converted DNG in the editor and archive workflow you actually use.

4 min read · Decision guide Base64

Base64 image data URLs: pixels turned into text

Base64 is an encoding, not an image format. It turns binary image bytes into safe text that can be embedded in HTML, CSS, JSON, or test fixtures.

3 min read · Format guide STL

STL File Format: ASCII vs Binary, Units, and Solid Meshes

Choose binary STL for compact routine exchange and ASCII when readable text helps inspection. In either form, confirm the scale and validate the solid mesh before slicing.

4 min read · Practical guide GLB / glTF

GLB vs glTF: Which 3D Format Should You Use?

Choose GLB when you need one portable file. Choose glTF when you want readable JSON and separate resources for inspection, reuse, or development.

3 min read · Comparison guide JPEG XL

JPEG XL: a modern image format built for quality and migration

JPEG XL is a modern image codec from the JPEG standards family, designed for high quality, efficient compression, wide color, animation, and smooth migration from JPEG.

3 min read · Format guide Metadata & privacy

Does Adding a Watermark Remove EXIF Metadata?

A visible watermark changes pixels. Metadata survives only when the export path copies it. imgrove rebuilds a static PNG from canvas pixels, so source EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and animation do not carry over.

3 min read · Practical guide Print resolution

300 DPI vs Pixels: What Controls Print Sharpness?

Pixel dimensions set the image's detail budget. A DPI or PPI value connects those pixels to a physical print size; changing that value alone does not create new detail.

3 min read · Practical guide Tone conversion

Grayscale vs Black and White: How to Choose

Keep grayscale when texture, faces, shadows, or gradients carry meaning. Use pure black and white when the job needs two explicit tones, then tune the threshold until the subject reads clearly.

4 min read · Decision guide Border geometry

Add a Border Without Changing Image Size

Choose an inside border when width and height must stay fixed. Choose an outside border when every source pixel must remain visible, then calculate the larger canvas before export.

3 min read · Practical guide Image measurement

Image Dimensions vs File Size: Pixels, KB, and MB

Pixel dimensions describe the width-by-height grid. File size describes stored bytes. Check both values because neither one sets a fixed value for the other.

3 min read · Practical guide JPEG color

Why JPEG Colors Change at Sharp Edges

A picker reads the pixels decoded from the JPEG, not the colors that existed before compression. This guide shows where edge values move and how to choose a stable sample.

4 min read · Practical guide Image resizing

Why 1-Pixel Lines Disappear When You Resize an Image

A one-pixel feature becomes narrower than one output pixel during downscaling. Smoothing can fade it, while nearest-neighbor sampling can miss it completely.

4 min read · Measured guide