What Is a Picture File Extension?

Picture file extensions help your computer understand the type of file.

Digital images come in several different formats, and each has its own file extension. This may seem confusing at first, but it makes sense once you understand what file extensions are.

Identification

A file extension is the suffix of a file name that comes after the "dot." For example, a file named "Picture.jpg" has the file extension ".jpg."

Types

There are many file extensions for image files, but the most popular are .JPG (or .JPEG), .GIF, .PNG and .TIF. In addition to these file types, many digital cameras save in a format known as .RAW, or a brand-specific format. You may need to install a special driver to open or view these files.

Function

Each picture file extension designates a different type of image compression, letting your image viewer or Internet browser know which format the image is compressed in so it can be displayed. For example, .JPG files are compressed in the joint picture expert group format, while .GIF files are in the graphic interchange format.

References

• YouNeedItAll.com: Image File Extension Type