AI:

Native Adobe Illustrator source file format. Vector based. This file format is derived from the industry standard vector drawing program.

BMP:

BMP is a standard Microsoft Windows image format on DOS and Microsoft Windows compatible computers. BMP format supports RGB, Indexed Colour, Grayscale, and Bitmap colour modes. You can specify either Windows or OS/2® format and a bit depth for the image. For 4-bit and 8-bit images using the Windows format, you can also specify RLE compression.

BMP images are normally written bottom to top; however, you can select the Flip Row Order option to write them from top to bottom. You can also select an alternate encoding method by clicking Advanced Modes. (Flip Row Order and Advanced Modes are most relevant to game programmers and others using DirectX graphics software.)

EPS:

The Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) language file format can contain both vector and bitmap graphics and is supported by virtually all graphic, illustration, and page-layout programs. EPS format is used to transfer PostScript-language artwork between applications.

The EPS format supports Lab, CMYK, RGB, Indexed Colour, Duotone, Grayscale, and Bitmap colour modes, and does not support alpha channels. EPS does support clipping paths. Desktop Colour Separations (DCS) format, a version of the standard EPS format, lets you save colour separations of CMYK images. To print EPS files, you must use a PostScript printer.

GIF:

The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is the file format commonly used to display indexed-colour graphics and images in hypertext markup language (HTML) documents over the World Wide Web and other online services. GIF is an LZW-compressed format designed to minimize file size and electronic transfer time. GIF format preserves transparency in indexed-colour images; however, it does not support alpha channels.

JPEG:

The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format is commonly used to display photographs and other continuous-tone images in hypertext markup language (HTML) documents over the World Wide Web and other online services. JPEG format supports CMYK, RGB, and Grayscale colour modes, and does not support alpha channels. Unlike GIF format, JPEG retains all colour information in an RGB image but compresses file size by selectively discarding data.

A JPEG image is automatically decompressed when opened. A higher level of compression results in lower image quality, and a lower level of compression results in better image quality. In most cases, the Maximum Quality option produces a result indistinguishable from the original.

PCX:

The PCX format is commonly used by IBM PC-compatible computers. Most PC software supports version 5 of the PCX format. A standard VGA colour palette is used with version 3 files, which do not support custom colour palettes.

PCX format supports RGB, Indexed Colour, Grayscale, and Bitmap colour modes, and does not support alpha channels. PCX supports the RLE compression method. Images can have a bit depth of 1, 4, 8, or 24.

PDF:

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a flexible, cross-platform, cross-application file format. Based on the PostScript imaging model, PDF files accurately display and preserve fonts, page layouts, and both vector and bitmap graphics. In addition, PDF files can contain electronic document search and navigation features such as electronic links.

PDF files are created using applications like Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Illustrator, and can contain multiple pages and images.

PICT File:

The PICT format is widely used among Mac OS graphics and page-layout applications as an intermediary file format for transferring images between applications. PICT format supports RGB images with a single alpha channel, and indexed-colour, grayscale, and Bitmap-mode images without alpha channels. The PICT format is especially effective at compressing images with large areas of solid color. This compression can be dramatic for alpha channels with their large areas of white and black.

When saving an RGB image in PICT format, you can choose either a 16-bit or 32-bit pixel resolution. For a grayscale image, you can choose from 2, 4, or 8 bits per pixel. In Mac OS with QuickTime installed, four JPEG compression options are available.

PICT Resource:

(Mac OS) A PICT resource is a PICT file contained in a Mac OS file's resource fork; for example, an application's splash screen or the contents of the Scrapbook. The PICT Resource format supports RGB images with a single alpha channel, and indexed-colour, grayscale, and Bitmap-mode images without alpha channels.

Pixar:

The Pixar format is designed specifically for high-end graphics applications, such as those used for rendering three-dimensional images and animation. The Pixar format supports RGB and grayscale images with a single alpha channel.

PNG:

Developed as a patent-free alternative to GIF, Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format is used for lossless compression and for display of images on the World Wide Web. Unlike GIF, PNG supports 24-bit images and produces background transparency without jagged edges; however, some Web browsers do not support PNG images. PNG format supports RGB, indexed-color, grayscale, and Bitmap-mode images without alpha channels. PNG preserves transparency in grayscale and RGB images.

PSD:

The Native Adobe Photoshop file format. This file format is derived from the industry standard vector drawing program

Targa:

The TGA (Targa®) format is designed for systems using the Truevision® video board and is commonly supported by MS-DOS colour applications. Targa format supports 16-bit RGB images (5 bits x 3 color channels, plus one unused bit), 24-bit RGB images (8 bits x 3 colour channels), and 32-bit RGB images (8 bits x 3 colour channels plus a single 8-bit alpha channel). Targa format also supports indexed-colour and grayscale images without alpha channels. When saving an RGB image in this format, you can choose a pixel depth and select RLE encoding to compress the image.

TIFF:

The Tagged-Image File Format (TIFF) is used to exchange files between applications and computer platforms. TIFF is a flexible bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image-editing, and page-layout applications. Also, virtually all desktop scanners can produce TIFF images.

TIFF format supports CMYK, RGB, Lab, indexed-colour, and grayscale images with alpha channels and Bitmap-mode images without alpha channels.