Learn about image file formats

In general, images can have many different file formats, but you can only upload images to your shop that have the PNG, GIF, or JPEG format. These file formats differ in several aspects, for example, the number of supported colors or the availability of transparency.

JPEG format

The JPEG format, short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, is the most common file format for digital images. As it supports millions of different colors, it is recommended for images with blending color tones and complex colors.

JPEG images have a lossy compression, meaning that tiny bits of the image information are removed in order to reduce the file size of the image. While this can be very useful if a small file size is required, it might end up in a (slightly) reduced image quality if the image is edited and saved (and thus compressed) several times.

Furthermore, it is not possible to have a transparent background with JPEG images. If the image's background color differs from the shop's background color, you will always see the outline of the image.

To sum it up, the JPEG format is a good choice for colorful images that do not require a transparent background, for example, images in image sliders or rectangular logos.

PNG format

The PNG format, short for Portable Network Graphics, is very similar to the JPEG format. But unlike the JPEG format, the PNG format supports transparency.

Be aware that not all images in the PNG format will automatically have a transparent background. If you would like to add a transparent background to your image, you will need to edit the image in an image editor accordingly.

Furthermore, the PNG format has a non-lossy compression, meaning that the image quality will not be reduced when editing and saving the image several times. While this means that the file size might be slightly larger than in the JPEG format, it also allows a slightly better visualization of images with flat color or sharp borders.

To sum it up, the PNG format is especially suited for transparent product images that are supposed to be displayed on a background whose color differs from the image's background color or for logos with transparent parts, for example, round logos.

GIF format

The GIF format, short for Graphics Interchange Format, supports animated images. Besides this main use case for the image format, it can also be used for single images. Similar to the PNG format, the GIF format also supports transparency. Another advantage of the GIF format is that the file size is relatively small compared to the PNG and JPEG format. Unlike the JPEG and PNG format, the GIF format does not support millions but only hundreds of colors.

To sum it up, the GIF format is a good choice for animated images as well as for logos and single images with few colors.

How to change an image's file format

You can only upload images to your shop that have the PNG, GIF, or JPEG format. If you would like to upload an image that has a different file format, you need to change the image's file format. You can do so with an image converter (you will find several free image converters on the internet) or with an image editor. You do not need a professional image editor to do so, basic editors like Microsoft Paint for Windows users or Paintbrush for Mac users will do the trick for most images. To change the image file format, open the image in your chosen image editor, select Save as, choose your desired file format, and save the image.