Images can be found all over the web and used in a variety of ways. But did you know that different image file types have different uses?

In the early days of web surfing, when people came across a website with an image gallery, they would click to load a nice, big picture, and wait with bated breath as it appeared one row of pixels at a time. A creator had to carefully consider how much imagery to use on their site because the addition of an image would further increase the page's loading time.

These days, images usually load up in the blink of an eye if you have a good internet connection. However, this doesn't mean imagery should be added thoughtlessly to websites. Each image you choose should have a purpose. It should convey useful information, support text content, or inspire curiosity or enjoyment.

It's not just increased internet speeds that let images load quickly. Imagine that text content is like a bunch of smart cars and motorcycles buzzing down the information superhighway. Now imagine that images are those trucks with the wide load sign on the back. To avoid delays, you can choose certain file types and make adjustments to cut down on image file size without sacrificing too much quality. Web-delivered media require these considerations to keep the site traffic flowing smoothly.

But before we dive into all the technicalities, let's go over how to get an image on the page.