Type of Files: A Guide to Common File Formats

Do you know what those funny letters at the end of your favorite picture’s file name stand for? Although many of us, over the course of sharing, sending, and downloading various files from the internet, are familiar with most of these file extensions, few of us know what they mean or understand how their differences affect the way they can be managed.

File types are different formats classified by their structure and purpose. In digital asset management, numerous different types of files are uploaded, stored, accessed, shared, downloaded, and distributed by various teams and departments. 

In day-to-day operations, you may upload, access, share, and distribute multiple file types. It’s important to understand the basics of each file type to understand what you’re working with. In this resource, we’ll break down the most common types of files you may see in digital asset management.

An Overview of Common File Types

Let’s gain a better understanding of the most common file types and how they differ from one another. 

Here’s a list of different types of files we’ll cover:  

• JPG
• PNG
• GIF
• TIFF
• SVG
• WebP
• MP4
• MOV
• AVCHD
• MP3
• WAV
• PDF
• DOC
• TXT
• XLSX
• CSV
• HTML
• PPTX
• ZIP

Below are descriptions of the most common file types found on your personal computer, the web, and (most likely) your organization’s digital asset management (DAM) system.

Image & Graphics File Types

JPG (or JPEG) [Joint Photographic Experts Group]

JPG (or JPEG) is the most common image format on the web. They compress images down to a smaller size so they're easier for systems of all kinds to digest without sacrificing colors or graphics. 

JPG files are ideal for sharing with teammates or adding to a website.

PNG [Portable Networks Graphic]

PNGs are raster graphics files that employ lossless data compression. They’re similar to JPGs in that they're suitable for sharing on the web due to their ability to compress images. Essentially, they get rid of data you can’t see with your eyes. 

These compressed versions of images don’t lose quality across editing or multiple saves like JPEGs and support background-less images like logos or product shots.

GIF [Graphics Interchange Format]

A GIF (or “Jif” depending on your preference) is a bitmap image format, most well-known for its ability to support animations. Like PNGs, GIFs are compressed files that support background-less content. 

You’ll often find simplistic logos with only a few colors in GIF format as well, since GIFs only support 256 colors.

TIFF [Tagged Image File Format]

Unlike the file types above, TIFFs are lossless raster image files. TIFFs aren't compressed, meaning they maintain all the data attached to an image to ensure high quality.

For this reason, they're used when every detail of a picture needs to be clear. However, they're often larger files, making them difficult to use on the web.

SVG [Scalable Vector Graphics]

An SVG is an XML-based image file built for a specific type of image: vector graphics. In other words, these are geometric designs created in tools like Illustrator. 

The SVG format allows users to resize images as much as they like without negatively affecting their quality. It’s typically applied to assets that are placed on documents, websites, billboards, and business cards.

WebP 

WebP is a raster graphics file, developed by Google for superior lossless and lossy compression. It’s a modern image file specifically formatted for web use, reducing file size and retaining a healthy site speed without sacrificing quality. 

Both lossless and lossy WebP files support transparency at a smaller file size compared to PNGs.

Video File Formats

MP4 [Moving Picture Experts Group Layer Four]

MP4 is a digital multimedia container format. Consider MP4s the JPG of video. They’re compressed files that can contain video, audio, and subtitle elements. 

Because of their size, MP4s are easy to distribute and view on the web, and thus are the most common way we digest video today.

MOV [QuickTime File Format]

MOV is a QuickTime File Format for video content. It’s one of the most common video files used by creators, and is compatible across multiple platforms. 

MOV files offer higher quality playback, compared to MP4, but at a larger file size that’s not as widely supported. 

AVCHD [Advanced Video Coding High Definition]

AVCHD is a video file format used for digital recording and playback. It’s used to capture high-definition video with compression to save storage space. 

This type of video file is better suited for archiving, where MP4 is a better option for streaming, sharing, and mobile editing. 

Audio File Types

MP3 [Moving Picture Experts Group Layer Three]

MP3s are compressed audio files that maintain a high level of quality and work across many platforms on the web. It’s widely supported by many media players and devices.

Anyone born before 2000 remembers when “MP3 Players” were all the rage. Nowadays, kids may not be as familiar with this audio file format, but it fits in the family of JPGs and MP4s.

WAV [Waveform Audio File Format]

A WAV file is an uncompressed audio file format storing high-quality, lossless audio. Because it’s high-fidelity, WAV files are used in professional audio recording, editing, and archiving. 

Due to the large file size, WAV files take up more space than MP3 files and aren’t as convenient for sharing. 

Text and Document File Types

PDF [Portable Document Format]

PDF files are Adobe’s solution to the problem of documents being reformatted as a result of the file type they were saved within and the way they were viewed. 

Using a PDF reader (they’re pretty standard on devices these days), the user can view documents the way they were intended to be looked at. This includes all the text, images, vector images, interactive media, and videos featured in the document.

DOCX [Microsoft Word Document] 

DOCX files are text-based files for creating, storing, editing, and sharing Microsoft Word documents. This type of file can be opened in other word processing programs, like Apple Pages or Google Docs. 

DOCX files serve a wide range of purposes and are one of the most common text files. 

TXT [Text File Format] 

A TXT file is the most basic, unformatted type of text file. It’s used to create plain text files without any formatting or styling. 

Because there’s no unique formatting, TXT files can be opened on any type of device, software, or platform. 

XLSX [Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet]

XLSX files are Microsoft Excel Open XML Format spreadsheets that store data in rows and columns. The format can store additional information like text formulas and charts.

XLSX files are widely supported in platforms like Google Sheets and Apple Numbers. They use ZIP compression to keep file sizes down and make them easier to store and share.