Imaging Basics

GIF

• loseless compression
• limit to 256 colors
• animation

JPEG

• lossy compression, lose some information on every save. See illustration in reference
• loseless rotation only in 90 degree (image dimension is divisable by 8 preferable)
• can contain extra information in file (EXIF, most commonly used in newer digital cameras, see reference)

PNG(Portable Network Graphics)

• loseless compression
• millions of colors support
• can be used on web pages for newer browsers
• royality free

TIFF/Photoshop PSD

• loseless compression
• multi page (layer) possible
• extra file information like EXIF, IPTC
• CANNOT be used to display graphics within web pages directly without special plugin

References

• ATG Web Imaging workshop http://www.wfu.edu/~yipcw/webimaging/
• Licensing
  • Unisys GIF LZW http://www.unisys.com/unisys/lzw/lzw-license.asp
  • http://burnallgifs.org/
  • TIFF http://www.loundy.com/Licensing-Tiff.html
  • Adobe TIFF http://www.ietf.org/ietf/IPR/Adobe-TIFF
• JPEG
  • loseless rotation http://jpegclub.org/losslessapps.html
  • misc issues on JPEG http://www.wfu.edu/~matthews/misc/miscellaneous.html
• EXIF
  • Specification from Photographic & Imaging Manufacturers Association http://www.pima.net/standards/it10/PIMA15740/exif.htm
  • Description http://www.ba.wakwak.com/~tsuruzoh/Computer/Digicams/exif-e.html
  • Article http://www.dpreview.com/learn/Glossary/Camera_System/EXIF_01.htm
  • Metadata (EXIF) and Photoshop 6 http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/researchDevelopment/technologyFeatures/metadataAdobe.shtml
  • Windows Explorer View of EXIF information under Windows XP http://www.dpreview.com/news/0104/01041802winxpdigicam.asp
  • PixVue software (free) http://home.san.rr.com/pixvue/
  • EXIFread software (free) from Tawbware http://members.tripod.com/~tawba/
• IPTC
  • International Press Telecommunications Council http://www.iptc.org/
  • Discussion http://www.cepic.org/iptc.htm
• Imaging Editing software
  • C|Net reveiws
  • PC Mag reviews
  • PC World reviews
  • JASC Paint Shop Pro 7.02 http://www.jasc.com/
  • Adobe Photoshop 6.01 http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/
  • GIMP http://www.gimp.org/
• Imaging software - for digicam info display, thumbnailing
  • ThumbNailer http://www.smalleranimals.com/thumb.htm
    
  • ThumbsPlus http://www.cerious.com/
  • Thumber http://members.tripod.com/~tawba/thumber.htm
  • PIE Picture Information Extractor http://www.picmeta.com/
  • ImageN http://www.pixoid.com/
  • IrfanView http://www.irfanview.com/
  • Polybytes Polyview http://www.polybytes.com/
  • Media Chance PhotoBrush http://www.mediachance.com/pbrush/
  • ULead PhotoExplorer http://www.ulead.com/pex/
  • ACSee http://www.acdsystems.com/
    
  • list http://www.steves-digicams.com/digsoftware.html
  • list http://www.digifotoinfo.co.uk/
• Advanced software
  • JPEG 2000 links http://www.jpeg.org/JPEG2000.htm
  • LuraTech LuraWave JPEG2000 wavelet http://www.luratech.com/
  • Pegasus Imaging Corporation http://www.jpegwizard.com/
  • Aware http://www.aware.com/products/compression/jpeg2000.html
  • Altamira Group / LizardTech Genuine Fractals http://www.altamira-group.com/
  • T.I.E.R. ATG demo on wavelet and fractal compression url