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JPEG -- Joint Pictures Expert Group.
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The committee which set standards for a file format for graphics. The JPEG file format is a compressed format, with some loss of quality during compression. A popular web format do to the generally small size of pictures. File formats of .jpg, .jpeg, and .jpe.

GIF -- Graphics Interchange Format
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A popular bitmapped graphics file.format developed by CompuServe. Pronounced "giff" with a hard "g" by most Mac users and "jiff" by PC users, GIFs are widely used on the Web because the format uses its wn form of compression.
GIF supports 8-bit color (256 colors), but gets the most mileage out of its limited colors by using a built-in color palette. For example, the palette for an image of a forest would mostly contain shades of green and rown. If colors are within a tight range, this method provides extraordinary realism in an 8-bit image. See color palette.
Outpur GIF Supported animation and transparent area.

BMP -- Windows BitMaP
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(BitMaP) Also known as a "bump" file, it is the native, itmapped graphics format in Windows. A BMP can be saved in several color options: 1-, 4-, 8- and 24-bit color provide 2, 16, 256 and 16,000,000 colors respectively. BMP files use the .BMP or .DIB file extensions (DIB stands for Device-Independent Bitmap).

TIFF -- Tag Image File Format
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TIFF (Tag Image File Format) is a common format for exchanging raster graphics (bitmap) images between application programs, including those used for scanner images. A TIFF file can beidentified as a file with a ".tiff" or ".tif" file name suffix. The TIFF format was developed in 1986 by an industry committee chaired by the Aldus Corporation (now part of Adobe Software). Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard were among the contributors to the format. One of the most common graphic image formats, TIFF files are commonly used in desktop publishing, faxing, 3-D applications, and medical imaging applications. TIFF files can be in any of several classes, including gray scale, color palette, or RGB full color, and can include files with JPEG, LZW, or CCITT Group 4 standard run-length image compression.

PNG -- Portable Network Graphics
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PNG (Portable Network Graphics) A bitmapped graphics file format endorsed by the World Wide Web Consortium. It is expected to eventually replace the GIF format, because there are lingering legal problems with GIFs. CompuServe owns the format, and Unisys owns the compression method. In addition, GIF is a ery basic graphics format that is limited to 256 colors (8-bit color)

TGA -- Targa Graphics Adaptor
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The TGA format is a common bitmap file format for storage of 24-bit images. It supports colourmaps, alpha channels, compression and comments.

Icon -- Windows Icon
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An icon in Windows is a small picture or object that represents a file, program, web page, or command. Most of the time, the icon picture relates to the function of the item that it represents.
For example, if the icon is attached to an e-mail program, it might be a picture of a letter. Icons are located on the desktop, in the start menu, and various other places.
If you are using Windows 95, 98 or 2000, you can see several icons right now. In the upper left corner of this browser, you should see an icon next to "Internet Explorer", "Netscape Navigator" or whatever browser you use.
Output icon Supported transparent area.

CUR -- Windows CUrsoR
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Cur is windows cursor file.

PCX -- PC PAINBRUSH
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Originally developed by ZSOFT for its PC Paintbrush program, PCX is a graphics file format for graphics programs running on PCs. It is supported by most optical scanners, fax programs, and desktop publishing systems. Files in the PCX format end with a ".pcx" ( pronounced dot -p-c-x) extension. Two other common bit map formats are BMP and TIFF.

RAW -- Camera RAW
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Most digital cameras process and compress the pictures you take immediately after capturing the image. This can be helpful, as it keeps the file sizes low (using JPEG compression) and takes care of color correction, including white-balance, tint, and exposure, so you don't have to. However, some people, such as professional photographers, prefer to have more control over how each image is processed. Therefore, many high-end cameras have the ability to shoot in RAW mode. This mode does not compress the images at all and leaves them completely unprocessed.

Because Camera RAW files are uncompressed, they take up more space than typical JPEG images. In fact, RAW files often require 2 to 3 times more space for each image captured. So, you'll want to have an extra-large memory card in your camera if you plan on shooting in RAW mode. But since RAW photos are not compressed, you maintain the full quality of each image. This can make a noticeable difference when printing images, especially for large prints.

Camera RAW files are also unprocessed, meaning all the photo processing is done on the computer. It is like taking a film negative to a dark room to be developed. The RAW file is the negative and the computer serves as the dark room. With a RAW file, you have complete control over the temperature adjustments (for white-balance), tint, hue, and exposure. However, since Camera RAW files are not typical images, most image-viewing programs will not open them. Therefore, most camera companies include Camera RAW editing software with their high-end cameras. These programs allow you to open RAW files, do the necessary processing, and save them in common image formats such as bitmap, TIFF, and JPEG.

While shooting in Camera RAW mode offers a lot of control over your photos, it takes additional software and extra time to open and edit each picture you take. For most casual photography, using the camera's built-in processing is the most suitable option