The full form of GIF is Graphics Interchange Format.
Understanding GIF
GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a bitmap image format. It was created by a team led by American computer scientist Steve Wilhite at CompuServe and released on June 15, 1987. Unlike some other image formats, GIF supports animation, allowing for a sequence of images to create a moving picture. This makes it popular for short, looping animations often seen online.
Several sources confirm this definition: Byjus, Testbook, and Vedantu all state that GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.
While GIF is commonly used for animation, it's important to note that it's also used for static images. The format uses a lossless compression method, meaning no image data is lost during compression and decompression, unlike lossy formats such as JPEG.
Key Characteristics of GIF:
- Lossless Compression: Preserves image quality.
- Supports Animation: Allows for creating short, looping animations.
- Limited Color Palette: Typically uses a limited number of colors (256 maximum), making it suitable for simple images and animations.
- Widely Supported: Most web browsers and image viewers support GIF files.
