What is the Best File Format to Save Your Photos In? PSD * TIFF * JPEG * GIF * PNG

With so many image file formats available—BMP, EPS, JPEG, PNG, and GIF to name a few—how do you determine which is right image format for your email? Each format produces variances in file size, compression, and quality. To make things more confusing, support for specific file types can also vary between email clients. In this post, we’ll weigh the pros and cons of the three most popular file formats for email: JPEG, GIF, and PNG.

An important concept which distinguishes many image types is whether they are compressed. Compressed files are significantly smaller than their uncompressed counterparts, and fall into two general categories: "lossy" and "lossless." Lossless compression ensures that all image information is preserved, even if the file size is a bit larger as a result. Lossy compression, by contrast, can create file sizes that are significantly smaller, but achieves this by selectively discarding image data. The resulting compressed file is therefore no longer identical to the original. Visible differences between these compressed files and their original are termed "compression artifacts."

Here are a few of the most common formats and why you may or may not want to use them:

Small Formats

JPEG

JPEG images (short for Joint Photographic Experts Group) are “full-color images that dedicate at least 24 bits of memory to each pixel, resulting in images that can incorporate 16.8 million colors,” and are frequently referenced by their file extension, JPG. JPEGs are also “lossy,” meaning they retain all color information, but compress file size by selectively discarding data—and that compression can result in a loss of quality. In most design programs, you can choose the degree of compression you wish to apply to individual images—just be aware that by doing so, you also will alter the image’s quality. As a result, if you choose the maximum quality option, your image will most likely be indistinguishable from your original photograph, albeit with a correspondingly larger file size.

• The Joint Photographic Experts Group format is the most common type. It is viewable by all and can be used for print and the web.  

• When saving as a jpg, you decide what quality you desire (In Photoshop for example a level 1 is the lowest quality or a 12 which is the highest quality)

• The biggest downsize is that the jpeg format is loss.  Each time you open and save, the image compresses and you lose a small amount of information

• Another downside is that layers are flattened upon saving so you lose the ability to go back to past edits to tweak.

GIF

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is “one of the file formats used to display indexed-color graphics and images in HTML documents on the web.” This means that a GIF will only display a maximum of 256 colors; as a result, GIFs are great for images with simple illustrations and blocks of colors, like logos and icons, but probably not the best option for photographs.

• The Graphics Interchange Format is good for web graphics with animation but NOT recommended for photos.

• The file size is very small so these files load fast on the web.

• The downsides are limited colors and does not handle photographs well.

• Lossless format so you will retain information from your images as you re-open and re-save.

PNG

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics, they offer a wide range of attractive features, including a full range of color depths, support for sophisticated image transparency, better interlacing, and automatic corrections for display monitor gamma. PNG images can also hold a short text description of the image’s content, which allows Internet search engines to search for images, based on these embedded text descriptions.

• The Portable Network Graphics format also creates smaller file size but without the quality loss of a GIF.

• Useful if you need to maintain transparency.

• Often used for graphics instead of GIF.

• Lossless format so you will retain information from your images as you re-open and re-save.

• You can share these files on the web.

Large Formats

PSD

PSD files are layered image files used in Adobe PhotoShop. PSD, which stands for Photoshop Document, is the default format that Photoshop uses for saving data.  PSD is a proprietary file that allows the user to work with the images’ individual layers even after the file has been saved.

When an image is complete, Photoshop allows the user to flatten the layers and convert the flat image into a .JPG, .GIF, .TIFF or other non-proprietary file format so it can be shared.  Once a PSD image has been flatten by conversion, however, it cannot be converted back to PSD and the user can no longer work with the image's layers. It is important, therefore, so always save the .PSD file and not overwrite it during conversion.

• You will want to save as a Photoshop PSD when you have many layers that you want to preserve.

• Saving this way will retain adjustment layers, your masks, shapes, clipping paths, layer styles, blending modes.

• Useful if you need to maintain transparency.

• PSDs are often large in size, especially if you edit with many layers.

• Only those with Photoshop, Adobe products or certain other graphics programs will be able to view them.

• Unless you are printing from an Adobe application like Photoshop, or possibly another graphics program, you will need to save in a different format for printing, such as at a professional lab.

• You cannot display on the web in this format.

TIFF

TIFF stands for "Tagged Image File Format" and is a standard in the printing and publishing industry. TIFF files are significantly larger than their JPEG counterparts, and can be either uncompressed or compressed using lossless compression. Unlike JPEG, TIFF files can have a bit depth of either 16-bits per channel or 8-bits per channel, and multiple layered images can be stored in a single TIFF file.

TIFF files are an excellent option for archiving intermediate files which you may edit later, since it introduces no compression artifacts. Many cameras have an option to create images as TIFF files, but these can consume excessive space compared to the same JPEG file. If your camera supports the RAW file format this is a superior alternative, since these are significantly smaller and can retain even more information about your image.

• This targeted file format is the highest quality and is excellent for print as there is no loss in quality.

• Retains information in layers, depending how you save it.

• The downsides are the extremely large file size and you cannot display on the web in this format.

• Lossless format so you will retain information from your images as you re-open and re-save.

Like to learn more? Contact one of our friendly staff at Liberty Entertainment Group for pricing and more information.

Call:    Main   (213 )422-2878    Voice  (323) 305-4676     Email:   info@libertyentertainmentgrp.com

Please click this link to view our ‘Heritage & History’  blog!  Come explore the

Special Collections and Archives from the Liberty Entertainment Group Library.

These photographs and memorabilia are from a bygone era commencing in

the year 1839 which is considered the birth year of practical photography.

Photo Repair and Restoration for Family Historians

As family historians, our job is to research and collect documents, information, stories, artifacts and photos about our clans. If you are lucky, you will come across some old family photographs. And if you are very lucky, you will discover grandma’s very own photo album full of all sorts of images and perhaps captions and descriptions.

But discovering old photos is not always the end of the journey. Creating digital copies is the next thing you really need to do. That will give you the ability to share the pictures around the family, and it will give you a vital backup should anything happen to the originals. And after that, the question will arise: should you also do a little photo repair and restoration? Is that needed; is it even “right”? Here’s what you need to know.

    

Restoring and Repairing Historical Photos

An old photo can take on the character of their own – something to be revered for its own sake, revered as much for what it is and its journey to you as for what it represents. And that is fit and proper. The photo may have scars and scratches – and they are part of what it is and part of its character. The object as is should be valued and venerated.

But an old photo is not just an item to be appreciated. It is part of a family narrative and it has had a history and a purpose. Starting out, it was pristine and conveyed – as well as the photographer’s art and the darkroom technician’s skill allowed – the pictorial information to best advantage. And, over time, it was held and beheld and maybe even clutched and stroked. And it got old and faded and that is what you now hold. If you have a chance to sympathetically and carefully restore an old image you should – you are no more than recapturing the original purpose behind the image: displaying the person to best advantage.

The restored or repaired photo is not the original image and it not a substitute – but it is a very useful

Physical Repair or Digital Photo Restoration?

There are purists who insist on a physical repair of an old photograph. Sadly, outside of large museums, the skills needed to wield the inks, oils, brushes and even pencils to match the hues just so and brush in the near-invisible repairs are very scarce. And for most of us, we simply do not have the hours or the budgets for the time consuming process which is physical photo restoration.It is also true that the tools available to the digital restorer are superior to the brushes

and inks of the professional. You can match colors with 100% accuracy and repair large areas of damage – even

bringing in “lost parts” from matching contemporaneous photos where that is needed. And you can restore contrast to

the whole images and correct for color shifts – something which is impossible which physical restoration.

Scanning the Old Photo

When we scan old family photos we try to use as high a resolution as our scanner allows. For very small photos or small negatives/positives, scan at 2400 dpi or higher. For small photos, scan at 1200 dpi; for medium (around 6×4) scan at 800 dpi or so; for larger use 600 dpi. We always clean our scanner glass first; scan with the “photo” (not “documents”) setting; and always scan in color – even for black and white images. There is information within the color channels.

Another thing we do is to turn off the “auto enhance” functions that might be enabled in the photo scanner. We want to adjust contrast and saturation down the track should we choose to restore the photo, but at least create an original that is as true to the original photograph as possible. (We use a calibrated scanner that will create a near perfect image copy, something that is not as easy as it sounds given that we are going from the cyan/magenta/yellow/black color space of a printed image to the red/green/blue color space that your computer and all screens use).

Photo Repair and Photo Restoration

For old images, the challenge is to retain the historic flavor of the original. That means that if the original photograph was sepia-tinted, then the restored photo should also be sepia-tinted. But all dust marks, tears and scratches should be patched. And fading should certainly be corrected.

A more difficult question is what to do about the natural yellowing that afflicts most fiber based paper over time. We could restore the yellow to white and have the restored image look as if it’s fresh out of the developer and just fixed. But that looks “too new” or “fake” to some people. The other option is to leave the yellow as is: but that is not how the photo originally appeared! The middle ground may be to leave in some yellowing (say 15%-25%) to give the image an old patina-look but with its impact reduced.

Using Our Professional Photo Repair & Restoration Services

There are many reputable hope Photo Repair & Restoration programs available, but if you’re are unable to do this work for yourself or you just can’t get the “right look”, please consider Liberty Entertainment Group and ask to see samples of our work. We will educate you in the restoration process and give you a firm estimate. We will show you a side-by-side before and after. Liberty Entertainment Group has been restoring photos for over 10 years now. Please contact us to learn a little more about the process!

Visit our webpage

Contact one of our friendly staff at Liberty Entertainment Group for pricing and more information.

Call:    Main~   213-422-2878     Voice~   323-305-4676

E-mail: info@libertyentertainmentgrp.com

Make your old pictures look new again!

Repairing old photos which have faded used to be a challenge! Professionals would spend hours matching color palettes and adjusting levels, but no longer!

Liberty Entertainment Group offers photo restoration and retouching services. Take away the unwanted scratches and marks and bring your old photographs back to life. Our photo restoration service is our most extensive level of digital repair, and we are acknowledged experts in photo restoration. Our advanced photo restoration techniques allow us to return nearly any photo to their former glory, even those damaged by fire, light, water, mold, pets, or children.

State-of-the-art photo restoration services for discolored, faded, poorly printed, torn, crooked or damaged old photographs. Or, all of the above!

We carefully assess the photograph for color shifts, loss of saturation, “muddiness” in the blacks and whites, dust and scratches and tilting.  Sometimes there is a good image that needs cropping to bring attention to the main subject.

We can enlarge images preserving the best quality. Sometimes, we are asked to remove unwanted family members, or to add people who didn’t show up.

Contact one of our friendly staff at Liberty Entertainment Group for pricing and more information.

Call:    Main~   213-422-2878     Voice~   323-305-4676

E-mail: info@libertyentertainmentgrp.com

- See more at:http://libertyentertainmentgrp.com/site/?page_id=79

NO STORY SHOULD GO UNTOLD!

Liberty Entertainment Group ® believes that NO STORY SHOULD GO UNTOLD!

We specialize in custom-made projects specifically geared to our customers’ unique vision with an emphasis being family history documentation. We also offer many other services including production, archiving, photo and video restoration.

There is no greater gift than a tangible piece of history or present moment encapsulated for all generations to enjoy and pass on for posterity. When it comes to your production needs, we can help put you at ease to trust our experienced crew to provide you with top-notch quality and satisfaction with the end product.

Previous clients range from families, individuals, social organizations, nonprofit groups, production companies, corporations, event planners and more.

As a team our seasoned professionals contribute a vast pool of expertise and skills from every aspect of production from many years of experience in the film industry and other areas of skill sets such as photography, writing, editorial, video engineering, technical support, operation and set-up of live events, acting, research, business and outreach to name a few. Our group aims to please and cater to the needs of each individual’s ideas and requests as well as offer suggestions of our own that could enhance the final outcome.

Our goal is to deliver and guarantee quality, value and perfection to our customers with the end result being that they are satisfied and happy. It would be our pleasure to help you create, preserve, capture, and see come to fruition your unique stories, memories and treasured life moments to be shared with friends, family, and loved ones for a lifetime.

Don’t stop here! Please visit our packages and pricing section to view more details of the many services offered. If you are interested in our services but are located outside of the Greater Los Angeles area, we can travel to you for an additional fee with every effort to keep costs at current and affordable rates.

Remember, your story should not go untold!