Image conversion

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A massive number of image file formats are available for storing graphical data, and, consequently, there are a number of issues associated with converting from one image format to another. The key issues associated with image conversion are file size, software compatibility, and format compatibility.

1 Software compatibility
2 Lossy vs lossless image formats
3 Examples of properties of image formats
4 See also

[edit] Software compatibility

The primary difficulty in converting between image formats is that there are numerous graphics file formats and graphics software programs capable of converting images. Many image formats are native to one specific graphic application and are not offered as an export option in other software, due to proprietary considerations, and not all formats are compatible with one another. In general, bitmap formats and vector formats are freely inter convertible. Most image editing software is capable of importing and exporting in a variety of formats, and a number of specialized image converters exist.

[edit] Lossy vs lossless image formats

Different image formats use different types of data compression. JPEG format uses wavelet transforms, while bitmap format typically has no compression. Conversion between multiple image formats that engage in lossy data compression can result in rapid image degradation. Master images are best stored in a raw format, while images intended for dissemination may be more usefully stored in a compressed form.