Every Image Format Explained in 26 Minutes

Every image format you'll meet as a creator, explained one by one in plain language: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, JPEG XL, SVG, TIFF, BMP, camera RAW, plus color depth, alpha transparency, metadata, color spaces and how to choose a format for thumbnails and the web. Tap a timestamp to jump to the term you need.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro: how to jump to any term
0:56 The Big Idea
2:32 JPEG & Friends
5:29 Lossless Classics
10:04 Modern Formats
14:54 Vector & RAW
17:13 Settings Inside
19:49 Color Spaces
22:04 Thumbnails & Workflow
24:07 Cheat Sheet

Every single term has its own timestamp in the pinned comment.

NOTES
- Numbers on screen that aren't from a named source are examples. Some bars show a sourced range or claim and are labeled.
- YouTube's thumbnail help page has had different numbers in different versions. The video explains the version I read; always check the live page.
- Facts were checked in October 2026. Browser support changes often, so confirm before relying on a new format.
- Narration is an AI-generated version of my own voice.

SOURCES
MDN, image file type and format guide: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats/Image_types
YouTube, add custom thumbnails: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431
Google, WebP: https://developers.google.com/speed/webp
Apple, iPhone camera formats: https://support.apple.com/en-us/116944
Background references: Wikipedia articles on JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, WebP, AVIF, HEIF, JPEG XL, SVG, raw image formats, sRGB, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, ICC profiles, color depth, alpha compositing, Exif, dithering, pixel density, raster graphics, image compression.

Which format confused you the most? Tell me in the comments.