--- title: "Supported File Formats" canonical: https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/supported-file-formats.htm product: "Graphics Mill" --- # Supported File Formats This topic provides short descriptions of the supported image formats. It also lists operations which can be carried out on each image format using Graphics Mill. Graphics Mill supports the following file formats: - BMP File Format - EPS File Format - GIF File Format - JPEG File Format - PDF File Format - PNG File Format - PSD File Format - RAW File Format - SVG File Format - TARGA File Format - TIFF File Format - WebP File Format One of the main characteristics of an image format is the set of corresponding pixel formats. This defines a number of bits of memory associated with one pixel of data and an order of color components within a single pixel. The image formats listed above support one or several pixel formats. ## BMP File Format BMP (**B**it**m**ap **P**icture) is a standard bitmap image format used to store digital images on Microsoft Windows operating systems. BMP files range from monochrome (1 bit per pixel) to 32 bit color images. The BMP format can store both indexed and full-color images in various color depths, and optionally with data compression, and color profiles. **MIME Type** image/bmp **File Extensions** \*.bmp, \*.dib, \*.rle **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [BmpSettings.Compression](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/P_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Codecs_BmpSettings_Compression.htm.md) | A compression type of BMP files. It can be either uncompressed for any allowed BMP file pixel formats, or use RLE compression for 4-bit and 8-bit bitmaps. | ## EPS File Format EPS (**E**ncapsulated **P**ost**S**cript) is a PostScript document used as a graphics file format. An EPS file may contain both raster and vector data descripted by the PostScript language. **MIME Type** application/postscript **File Extension** \*.eps **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Working with EPS](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-eps.htm.md) | Two ways to create EPS documents. | | [Graphics: Drawing Images and Geometric Shapes](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/graphics.htm.md) | How to draw on EPS. | ## GIF File Format GIF (**G**raphics **I**nterchange **F**ormat) is a bitmap image format which works well for saving any type of grayscale or 256 color image. The color limitation makes the GIF format unsuitable for reproducing color photographs and other images with continuous color, but it is well-suited for simpler images such as graphics or logos with solid areas of color. The GIF image format supports animations and one-dimensional interlacing (a method of progressive displaying). GIF interlacing makes this format convenient for transmission of images across slow communication links. **MIME Type** image/gif **File Extension** \*.gif **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Codecs.GifSettings](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/T_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Codecs_GifSettings.htm.md) | Writer settings in GIF format. | | [Loading and Saving Animated GIFs](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/loading-and-saving-animated-gifs.htm.md) | Processing animated GIF images: creating a new animated GIF file, loading an existing one, resizing animated GIFs. | ## JPEG File Format JPEG (**J**oint **P**hotographic **E**xperts **G**roup) is the most popular bitmap image format for storing digital photos using lossy compression. The JPEG format was designed for compressing either grayscale or full-color images of real-world scenes. It supports the sequential and progressive compression schemes, subsampling, and setting a quality range from 0 to 100. **MIME Type** image/jpeg **File Extensions** \*.jpeg, \*.jpg, \*.jfif, \*.jpe **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Applying Lossless JPEG Transforms](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/applying-lossless-jpeg-transforms.htm.md) | Implementing lossless JPEG operations (rotating, flipping, cropping, updating metadata) using Graphics Mill | | [Working with Metadata](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-metadata.htm.md) | Processing metadata: reading and writing EXIF, IPTC, XMP metadata, and Adobe Image Resource Blocks. Preserving metadata while processing images. | | [Working with JPEG](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-jpeg.htm.md) | JPEG compression algorithm and Graphics Mill JPEG writer settings. | ## PDF File Format PDF (**P**ortable **D**ocument **F**ormat) was developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. for secure and reliable distribution of electronic documents independent of software, hardware, and operating system. In general, a PDF file includes a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document such as the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it. **MIME Type** application/pdf **File Extension** \*.pdf **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Working with PDF](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-pdf.htm.md) | Two ways to create PDF documents. | | [Graphics: Drawing Images and Geometric Shapes](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/graphics.htm.md) | How to draw on PDF. | | [Working with Metadata](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-metadata.htm.md) | Processing metadata: reading and writing XMP metadata. Preserving metadata while processing images. | ## PNG File Format PNG (**P**ortable **N**etwork **G**raphics) was created to replace the obsolete GIF format due to a legal problem caused by the LZW algorithm used in GIF. In comparison with GIF, the PNG format has three main advantages: - alpha channel (variable transparency) - gamma correction (cross-platform control of image brightness) - two-dimensional interlacing (method of progressive displaying) PNG supports palette-based images with palettes of 24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA colors, grayscale images (with or without alpha channel), and full-color non-palette-based images with or without alpha channel. **MIME Type** image/png **File Extension** \*.png **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [PngSettings.IsInterlaced](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/P_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Codecs_PngSettings_IsInterlaced.htm.md) | A value that specifies if a PNG file should be interlaced or not. | ## PSD File Format PSD (**P**hoto**s**hop **D**ocument) is a native bitmap file format of the Adobe® Photoshop® program using lossless data compression. This format is a de facto standard for designers all over the world. The PSD image format is rather complex and stores a lot of layers and additional data (image layers, text layers, applied effects, etc.). **Note** Graphics Mill supports loading PSD files, but not saving to PSD. **MIME Type** image/vnd.adobe.photoshop **File Extension** \*.psd **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Loading Raster Layers](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/loading-raster-layers.htm.md) | Getting access to layers of a PSD file and extracting an image from layers of a PSD image. | | [Loading Text Layers](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/loading-text-layers.htm.md) | Extracting text data from layers of a PSD file. | | [Working with Photoshop (PSD) Files](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-psd-files.htm.md) | Rendering and personalizing PSD templates with **PsdProcessor**. It requires the `Aurigma.GraphicsMill.Templates` NuGet package. | ## RAW File Format A camera **raw image file** contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, image scanner, or motion picture film scanner. Raw files are named so because they are not yet processed and therefore are not ready to be printed or edited with a bitmap graphics editor. **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Loading RAW files](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/loading-raw.htm.md) | Two ways to load RAW files in Graphics Mill: through pipelines and via the [GraphicsMill.Bitmap](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/T_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Bitmap.htm.md) class. | ## SVG File Format SVG (**S**calable **V**ector **G**raphics) is an image format developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This format defines vector-based graphics in the XML format. SVG is very popular standard in web design because using it you may achieve perfect graphics quality without thinking of the zoom level or screen resolution. **MIME Type** image/svg+xml **File Extension** \*.svg ## TARGA File Format TARGA (**T**ruevision **A**dvanced **R**aster **G**raphics **A**dapter) is a raster graphics file format created by Truevision Inc. Graphics Mill supports the following compression methods for the TARGA format: - No compression - RLE compression **MIME Type** image/x-targa image/x-tga **File Extension** \*.tga **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Codecs.TgaSettings](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/T_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Codecs_TgaSettings.htm.md) | Writer settings of the TARGA format. | ## TIFF File Format TIFF (**T**agged **I**mage **F**ile **F**ormat) is a bitmap file format for storing images that is very popular among professional photographers and graphic artists. TIFF is a flexible and adaptable file format for handling images and data within a single file. It includes the header tags (size, definition, image-data arrangement, applied image compression) and defines the image's geometry. Graphics Mill supports the following compression methods for the TIFF format: - CCITT RLE compression - CCITT Group 3 compression - CCITT Group 4 compression - LZW compression - JPEG compression - ZIP "deflate" compression **MIME Type** image/tiff **File Extensions** \*.tiff, \*.tif **Supported Format Features** | Name | Description | | --- | --- | | [Codecs.TiffSettings](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/T_Aurigma_GraphicsMill_Codecs_TiffSettings.htm.md) | Writer settings of the TIFF format. | | [Working with Metadata](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-metadata.htm.md) | Processing metadata: reading and writing EXIF, IPTC, XMP metadata, and Adobe Image Resource Blocks. It also shows how to preserve metadata during processing images. | | [Working with TIFF Extra Channels](https://www.graphicsmill.com/docs/gm/working-with-tiff-extra-channels.htm.md) | Processing extra channels of TIFF images: adding/getting an extra channel to/from a TIFF image and handling opacity in the extra channel. | ## WebP File Format WebP is an image format developed by Google Inc. This format provides lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. WebP can be used for animated images as an alternative to the popular GIF format. **MIME Type** image/webp **File Extension** \*.webp ## Supported Pixel Formats | Pixel Formats | BMP | GIF | JPEG | PDF | EPS | PSD | PNG | SVG | TARGA | TIFF | WebP | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 bit palette-based | Yes | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | Yes | | | 4 bit palette-based | Yes | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | Yes | | | 8 bit palette-based | Yes | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | 8 bit grayscale | | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | 16 bit grayscale | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | 16 bit grayscale + A channel | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | 24 bit RGB | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | 48 bit RGB | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | 16 bit RGB + A channel | | | | | | | | | Yes | | | | 32 bit RGB + A channel | | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | 64 bit RGB + A channel | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | 32 bit CMYK | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | Yes | | | 64 bit CMYK | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | 40 bit CMYK + A channel | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | 80 bit CMYK + A channel | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | Spot colors | | | | Yes | | | | | | | | ## See Also ### Other - [BMP specification↗](http://www.martinreddy.net/gfx/2d/BMP.txt) - [EPS specification↗](http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/5002.EPSF_Spec.pdf) - [GIF specification↗](http://www.martinreddy.net/gfx/2d/GIF89a.txt) - [JPEG specification↗](http://www.jpeg.org/index.html) - [PDF specification↗](http://www.adobe.com/devnet/pdf/pdf_reference.html) - [PNG specification↗](http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/png-sitemap.html#info) - [PSD specification↗](http://www.adobe.com/devnet-apps/photoshop/fileformatashtml/PhotoshopFileFormats.htm#50577409_pgfId-1030196) - [SVG specification↗](https://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/) - [TARGA specification↗](http://www.dca.fee.unicamp.br/~martino/disciplinas/ea978/tgaffs.pdf) - [TIFF specification↗](http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/tiff/TIFF6.pdf) - [WebP specification↗](http://developers.google.com/speed/webp/?csw=1)