GIF File Definition

GIF files, or .gif as they are commonly referred to, are an extremely popular bitmap graphics format, with it's acronym standing for Graphics Interchange Format. This file type was originally created by CompuServe, a small piece of trivia that few people are aware of. These GIF files are often used in graphic and template design because they are tightly compressed, and quite often are very small is overall file size. The main strength and weakness of this graphic is it's 8 bit color sequence, which can only handle 256 colors in any given image. So if your GIF images are less than the aforementioned color spectrum, then you will get a very tight compression and professional looking image. If however your color spectrum exceeds the 8 bit capacity, then the image will turn out looking grainy and pixelated. Another disadvantage to GIF images, is that while they can accommodate a transparent background, complex edges aren't processed well and turn out jagged.