Public Service Announcement: GIFs and JPEGs Are NOT the Same

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Here’s a really quick tip for all you would-be graphic designer gurus out there: there’s a reason why GIFs and JPEGs have different file-type names. They’re not the same, and one should never be used in place of the other (perhaps with rare exception. The above screen shot is from a survey Web site I went to for a restaurant called Kelsey’s. They used a GIF for photo-quality images, and the results are horrific: look at the patchy, blotchy skin on the woman’s face on the right. Does going to Kelsey’s result in eczema? No that’s just what happens when a GIF (which only has 256 colours with which to create an image) is used instead of a JPEG (which supports millions of colours). Now look at the food photo on the left – it looks somehow…wrong. Again, GIF used instead of JPEG, and the luscious colours have been pulled out of the image. Kelsey’s is a sizeable restaurant chain, so you’d think they’d be able to afford some real talent. Next PSA: remember to spay and neuter your pets!