I am sure you will agree that designing a stunning e-learning requires a lot of visual planning. In visual planning the use of images plays a very crucial and determining role as they can convey the intended meaning of the learning content and arouse the emotions of the learners to engage them with the e-learning course.
In this blog let’s find out how and when to use different types of image files in e-learning.
There are basically 2 types of image formats. They are :
- Raster Images
- Vector Images
So let’s understand each of these image formats :
Raster images are made up by series of pixels or individual blocks to form an image. Raster images are widely used in websites and in print.
They cannot be scaled beyond 100% without losing quality.
They are dependent on resolution and exist at one size. If you try to edit a raster image, the pixels will stretch themselves and can result in a blurry image.
They have a scale of compression that decreases file size but increases pixelation as the image is compressed.
The table depicts the types of raster image formats:
These are the files that are created and saved in Adobe Photoshop. They contain layers which makes modifying the image much easier to handle. It can be exported to a number of image file formats.Can come in handy whenever you need to make some changes to published images by editing the source files and republishing it.
| Sl.No. | Name | Abbreviation | Description | Application in
E-Learning |
| 1 | JPEG | Joint Photographic Experts Group | It is known for “lossy” compression, however, the degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. | 1. Widely used in e-learning due to relatively reasonable file size without compromising too much on the quality and crispness. 2. .jpegs support up to 16.7 million colors, making them a good choice for images or photos with a wide range of colors |
| 2 | GIF | Graphics Interchange Format | Every day there will be new animated GIF uploaded. This is widely used for web projects where the image needs to load very quickly. They can be exported in a variety of customizable settings that reduce the number of colors and image information. | Most commonly used in e-learning to create some small looping animations like arrow pointers or a correct incorrect feedback |
| 3 | PNG | Portable Network Graphics | These are amazing for interactive documents like web pages, however, it cannot be used for the print purpose. As it can display higher color depths it can be translated into millions of colors. You can edit the PNG images and it doesn’t lose quality however they will be in low resolution. This format has built-in transparency. | 1.PNG images can be used in e-learning whenever using human images showing expressions or for storytelling etc as the higher quality ensures the right emotions are conveyed to the learners. 2. They can also be used for situations where the focus is on the visual image like a course demonstrating making of wine or baking of cake etc |
| 4 | TIFF / TIF | Tagged Image File Format (or) Tagged Image Format | It is widely used in desktop publishing and photography as it has high quality. When you scan a document with the professional digital formula you will get TIFF images. It can also be used as a container for JPEG Images. | Does not have much application in e-learning but can be used whenever any e-learning resources like some pdf etc needs to be published. |
| 5 | RAW | These images are the unprocessed data captured by a digital camera. Normally images are processed, converted and compressed into another format. RAW images store the unprocessed and processed data in separate files giving you the opportunity to choose the high-quality image possible then you can edit with a photo editing application. | Does not have much application in e-learning. | |
| 6 | PSD | Photoshop Document | These are the files that are created and saved in Adobe Photoshop. They contain layers which makes modifying the image much easier to handle. It can be exported to a number of image file formats. | Can come in handy whenever you need to make some changes to published images by editing the source files and republishing it. |
Vector images are flexible and they are resolution independent. They are composed of proportional formulas. If you enlarge a vector image your shapes get larger without having the pixelation effect like Raster images because the image will render identically.
The table depicts the types of vector image formats:
| Sl.No. | Name | Abbreviation | Description | Application in E-Learning |
| 1 | Portable Document Format | It is an image format used to display documents and graphics correctly. As it is universal standard most of the prints take place in PDF format only. | PDFs are widely used in e-learning mainly in the resources section or to link up some additional content in the main module. | |
| 2 | EPS | Encapsulated PostScript | It is used as a vector format. It can include both Vector and raster image data. Normally it includes single design element that can be used in a larger design. | Usually, logos or other brand guidelines are received in this format. |
| 3 | AI | Adobe Illustrator | It is primarily vector based format, can be also included to embed or link to raster images.Detail Four | Can come in handy whenever you need to make some changes to published images by editing the vector source files and republishing it. |
Well, these are some of the basics about graphic formats, which can be used in e-learning. Do you have any views of your own about using different image formats?
We would love to hear them!
