File formats, made simple
Guides, comparisons and how-tos about file formats and conversion — in plain language, with no fluff and real takeaways.
Web PerformanceWebP for Website Speed: Faster Loading and Better SEO
WebP for site speed: 25–35% smaller than JPEG, 26% smaller than PNG, better LCP and Core Web Vitals, plus picture-tag fallbacks and a rollout check…
Format ComparisonWebP vs AVIF: Which Modern Image Format to Choose in 2026
WebP vs AVIF in 2026: which format is smaller, which has richer color and HDR, which encodes faster and which has wider browser support. A clear an…
Format BasicsWhat Is AVIF? The Next-Gen Image Format Built on AV1
What is AVIF: the next-gen image format built on the AV1 video codec. Why files are half the size of JPEG, how 10-bit color, HDR and transparency w…
Format BasicsWhat Is BMP? The Uncompressed Format from the Windows Era
What is BMP (Bitmap): the uncompressed raster format from the Windows era. How the file is built, why it is so heavy, why it stores pixels directly…
Format BasicsWhat Is DDS? A Complete Guide to the DirectDraw Surface Texture Format
What is the DDS (DirectDraw Surface) format: why games need compressed textures, how BC1–BC7 blocks and mipmaps work, and how to open a DDS file in…
Format BasicsWhat Is EPS? The Vector Format for Print and Logos
What is EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): why Adobe invented this vector format in 1987, how it works, why it became the standard for logos and print,…
Format BasicsWhat Is GIF? How the Animation Format Outlived the Whole Internet
What is GIF: how a 1987 format from CompuServe outlived the whole internet. The 256-color palette, LZW compression, binary transparency and looping…
Format BasicsWhat Is HEIC? The iPhone Photo Format That's Half the Size of JPEG
What is HEIC: the iPhone photo format that's half the size of JPEG. In plain English — why Apple made it the default in iOS 11, what it can do (16-…
Format BasicsWhat Is ICO? The Icon Format for Windows and Favicons
What is ICO: the icon format for Windows and favicons. How one file holds 16×16, 32×32 and 256×256 at once, why it stores BMP or PNG inside, and wh…
Format BasicsWhat Is JPEG (JPG)? How the Format That Compressed the Internet Really Works
What is JPEG (JPG) in plain English: where the 1992 format came from, how lossy compression and the DCT on 8×8 blocks work, what the quality slider…
Format BasicsWhat Is PDF? The Format That Looks the Same on Every Device
What is a PDF, in plain English: who invented the format and why, how it looks identical on every device, what's actually inside it, and how PDF/A…
Format BasicsWhat Is PNG? The Lossless Image Format With Transparency, Explained
What is PNG, explained from scratch: lossless compression, smooth transparency (alpha channel), the difference between PNG-8, PNG-24 and PNG-32, th…