Below is a list of design related file types that a typical multimedia designer would be familiar with. It is not a complete list as there are a huge number of software applications out there, however the list below is indicative of the standard file types used in the Graphic Design & Multimedia industries. Icon Extension Meaning Description .ai Adobe Illustrator Useful for vector illustration where the image can be scaled to infinity without the loss of quality. .asp/.aspx * Active Server Page/.Net A web server extension by Microsoft enabling web pages to be dynamically generated from the server. .avi Audio Video Interleave A sound and video file format on Windows operating systems. .css Cascading Style Sheet A language used to describe how a HTML document should be formatted. .doc Document Microsoft Word Files used for document creation & formatting. .exe Executable Program Used to run a program on the Windows operating system. .eps Encapsulated Postscript Useful for vector illustration where the image can be scaled to infinity without the loss of quality. Most logos are created in this format. .fla Flash The format used to create and edit swf files that are presented on the web. Useful for animation and interactivity. .gif Graphical Interchange Format A graphic file format that presents images using a break down of colors to compress the image. Best used for illustrations, logos and solid shapes. This format can provide small file sized animations known as animated gifs. A gif file also supports transparency. .hqx binary-to-hexadecimal Used to run a program on the Macintosh operating system. .htm/.html * Hypertext Markup Language Standard file type for presenting a web page. Based around the premise of linking one page to another known as hyperlinks. .indd InDesign Document Page design software. InDesign enables print production workflow's and a fluid creative environment for designing professional layouts with sophisticated graphics and typography. .jpeg/.jpg Joint Photographic Experts Group Widely used on the Internet to display photographs. Can be compressed however pixel quality will degrade each time the format is saved. (Lossy Format). Does not support transparency. .mov Apple Quicktime Movie File File format used to present video and sound. .mpeg Moving Picture Experts Group The digital standard for compression and storage of motion video. .otf Open Type Font This is a vector font file type used for installing and manipulating fonts and can be used on Macintosh and Windows operating systems. .pdf Portable Document Format The PDF format has become a standard for document transfer between different computer platforms. A PDF file retains formatting for the file being transmitted and are becoming the standard for providing high resolution files to printers. .php PHP Script These are script files used on a server to generate HTML files sent to a browser. .png Portable Network Graphics Similar to a Jpeg file as it is used to present images however a png supports transparency. .psd Photoshop Document This format is used to create and edit images in Adobe Photoshop. .sit Stuff -It A sit file is a compressed archive. It can contain only one file or many files in multiple directories on the Macintosh operating system. .swf Shock Wave Format Created mainly by Flash, these files are used to present animations and interactive experiences embedded within a web page document. .tif Tagged Image Format Useful for high resolution printing such as photos and images for print. Does not loose quality over time from re-saving (not a lossy format). .ttf True Type Font This is a vector font file used for installing and manipulating fonts. Will work on Windows operating systems only. .wav Wave Format An audio format used to convert analogue to digital sound. .zip Compressed Archive File A zip file is a compressed archive. It can contain only one file or many files in multiple directories used on the Windows operating system. Please Note: Icon graphics may differ on your computer due to different user preferences and operating systems. Icons are indicative only. * Internet Explorer has been used for this icon as it is the most widely used internet browser and thus representative of a typical web page. This could be replaced with any other internet browser icon to symbolise a web page. Go to Psyborg Website | More Hints & Tips | Share on Facebook