Both the GIF and JPEG are compression formats for storing images to be displayed electronically. The JPEG format can display literally millions of colors and is frequently used for displaying images such as photos, artwork, or intricate designs. A GIF only displays up to 256 colors and because of that is more apt to be used for more simple images such as cartoons, or word based items. GIFs also have a faster load time because of the smaller amount of colors as compared to a JPEG. * What criteria would you use to make the decision to save an image as a JPEG file rather than a GIF file?
I would refer back to the initial question to answer this. I would choose a GIF for visuals for my site that are more simplistic in nature, such as words or cartoon like images. I would also choose a GIF if the original image could be scaled back to 256 colors and still look good in order to achieve a quicker load time for the site visitor. I would choose a jpeg when I wanted to wow my visitor with the crispness and clarity of an image such as a photo or artwork. A JPEG of a scene in nature with snowcapped mountains and a lake would be a good example of a breathtaking image you could add to your site via JPEG.
(Source: www. gifbin.com with modification)
This image was saved as a GIF because it is a simplistic, monochrome image. There is no need for multiple colors or high image resolution.
(Source: www. blog.phaseone.com with modification)
This image was saved as a JPEG because of the multitude of colors as well as the stunning visual it represents. There is little doubt this image would degrade severely if saved as a GIF