GIF file format
| Extension | .gif |
| Category | images |
| Programs | Adobe Photoshop Apple Preview Corel Paint Shop Pro Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery Viewer |
| Description | .xcf (eXperimental Computing Facility) The .xcf format is the native image file format of the GIMP software (GNU Image Manipulation Program). It's used for storing the entire composition including layers, channels, paths, and other elements that are part of a GIMP image. The XCF format is designed to preserve all information GIMP can contain about an image; however, due to its specific nature, it's not widely supported outside of GIMP. For sharing, images in XCF format are often exported to more universally recognized formats like PNG or JPEG. |
| Technical details | The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), introduced by CompuServe in 1987, is a bitmap image format with the following characteristics: - Color Limitation: Supports only 256 colors, making it suitable for graphics or logos but not for detailed photographs. - Animation Support: Stores multiple images for animated effects, popular for looping animations and web graphics. - Lossless Compression: Uses LZW compression, reducing file size without quality loss, effective for uniform color images. - Transparency Support: Allows background transparency in images. - Interlacing Option: Offers an interlaced format for quicker loading on slow connections. - Standardization: Original version (87a) in 1987, enhanced version (GIF89a) in 1989 with animation and transparency improvements. - Aspect Ratio: Lacks inherent aspect ratio support. - Applications: Commonly used online for animation and transparency, less so for high-quality photography due to color limits. - No Audio Support: Cannot embed sound. - Metadata: Limited metadata compared to formats like JPEG. - Browser Support: Broadly supported in web browsers and image viewers. - Patent Issues: LZW compression was patented, leading to controversy and PNG development; patent expired in 2003. - File Extensions: .gif or .GIF. Mainly used for web graphics, animations, and simple art, GIF is efficient for images with fewer colors but not ideal for detailed or high-quality images. |
| MIME type | image/gif |
gif converter
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gif converter
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