The accompanying table, Graphics Format Characteristics , illustrates some of the characteristics of the more popular graphics formats. The column titled Native Platform indicates the original hardware platform for which the format was developeda good indication of reliable implementations. The TIFF format description of an image includes the resolution, size, gray level or color or bi-level choices, whether dithering was performed, and what compression scheme was used. A TIFF file may also keep a directory of images, which may correspond to all the page images of a document. Many graphics formats use some form of data compression.
Image files are large.
JPEG has caught on as a widely used image compression technology, and Web browsers are starting to support this format natively. The company C-Cube Microsystems , a leading developer of compression hardware, has defined a standard interface to compression algorithms. Using this technique, users may pick and choose from among any number of compression algorithms. Coupled with hardware, these standards will provide the performance required for real-time video on the desktop. Desktop video and multimedia publishing are the next wave of new publishing technologies.