What is a AVIF file?
AVIF — next-generation image
Use the format AVIF
A concrete example
Prepare a detailed visual for a web page.
Useful checks
Compare the gradients and colors, then open the result in your recipient's browser.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
How to convert a HEIC photo from iPhone for free?
Choose your HEIC file in Images, then JPEG to share it widely or PNG if your usage requires it. Proceed to preparation, check the output, and start the conversion. Download and open the result. HEIC remains free; size limits and daily quota apply.
JPEG, PNG or WEBP: how to choose?
For a photo to send, start with JPEG. For a logo with transparency or sharp text, prefer PNG. For a web publication, WEBP can be interesting: compare the size and the rendering before publication. Converting a JPEG to PNG does not restore details lost earlier.
Why does my transparent background become opaque?
JPEG does not preserve transparency. Choose PNG or WEBP when the background must remain transparent and the proposed conversion allows it. If the background is already flattened in the original file, changing the format will not remove it.
Will my Photoshop layers or my vector drawing be preserved?
A JPEG or PNG output is a flattened image. It does not retain PSD layers or the editable objects of an SVG or an Illustrator file. Keep your working file and use the exported copy for sharing. Specialized creation formats are indicated by NoLimit.
What is it?
AVIF is the most efficient image format available today: at equivalent quality, it produces files half the size of a JPEG, and noticeably smaller than WebP.
It also handles what its predecessors can't: 10- and 12-bit colour, high dynamic range (HDR), transparency, and animation. Its gradients don't show the ugly banding you sometimes get with JPEG.
History & origin
AVIF is derived from the AV1 video codec, released in 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media — a consortium bringing together Google, Netflix, Amazon, Mozilla, and Apple to build a royalty-free codec, in response to the patent burden weighing down HEVC.
The image specification was published in 2019. Browsers adopted it quickly, including Safari from 2022 onward.
Why it is useful
The best compression ratio on the market, supported by all recent browsers. On a photo-heavy website, the bandwidth savings are substantial.
An open format with no licensing fees: no one will ever come knocking for royalties.
Limits & drawbacks
Encoding is slow — noticeably slower than JPEG — which becomes a real burden when processing thousands of images.
Outside the web, it's still far from universal: many desktop applications, printers, and older phones don't recognise it.
Practical tips
AVIF is excellent for shrinking a website's footprint without sacrificing quality. Always keep a JPEG or WebP fallback on hand for visitors on older hardware.
To share a photo by email or send it to be printed, stick with JPEG: compatibility matters more than efficiency in that case.
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Convert a AVIF