AVIF file format
| Extension | .avif |
| Category | images |
| Description | .avif (AV Image File Format) is an image file format that is specifically designed to encapsulate AV (AOMedia Video) encoded images. AVIF provides a significant reduction in file size compared to JPEG and PNG, all while maintaining high image quality. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut (WCG) images, and includes features like lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and animation. Due to its efficiency and superior image quality, AVIF is becoming increasingly popular for web use. |
| Technical details | The `.avif` (AV1 Image File Format) is an advanced image format with: - **AV1 Codec Basis**: Utilizing the AV1 video codec for high compression and quality, surpassing JPEG/PNG in smaller file sizes. - **Efficient Compression**: Utilizes intra-frame coding from AV1 to ensure minimal loss of quality, particularly effective at lower bitrates. - **HDR/WCG Support**: Capable of displaying a wide color range and detailed highlights/shadows with HDR and WCG. - **Transparency**: Able to manage transparency and varying levels of opacity. - **Color Profiles**: Supports ICC, RGB, and YCbCr color spaces. - **8-bit and 10-bit Colors**: Can handle both, enhancing detail in HDR content. - **Compression Types**: Offers options for both lossless and lossy compression. - **Tile-Based Coding**: Enables parallel processing and selective decoding through image tiling. - **Metadata**: Includes Exif and XMP data. - **Streaming and Thumbnails**: Optimized for adaptive streaming and thumbnail storage. - **Browser Support**: Increasing support in browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and image editing software. - **Bandwidth Efficiency**: High compression benefits web and mobile content by reducing bandwidth usage. - **Royalty-Free**: No licensing fees required, encouraging widespread adoption. The introduction of the `.avif` format represents a significant advancement in image technology, offering improvements in compression, image quality, and features over older formats, particularly in the context of web and mobile applications. |