You can save rendered images as a variety of different file types, each with different properties.
Commonly-Used File Types
The following commonly-used file types are available when saving renders and animations:
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BMP
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A popular format within the Microsoft operating system. It retains image quality.
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EXR
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A High Dynamic Range format which has a high compression ratio and is also open source.
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FLX
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A variation on the FLIC format used for animation frames.
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HDR
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A variation on the TIFF format that includes a luminance channel. Useful for editing tone mapping, black and white levels, and other luminance controls.
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JPEG
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A universal format with one of the best compression algorithms for its file size. This is a popular format for creating portable images, for example to send via email.
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PNG
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A popular format that provides both image quality and the smallest possible file size. PNG is one of the few file formats that is lossless, 8-bit, and contains an alpha channel. Use PNGs when you want the background of your render or animation to be transparent in post-process compositing.
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PNG 16-bit
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A variation of the PNG format with the addition of luminance information, giving you greater control over exposure.
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PSD
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Adobe Photoshop Format. It includes luminance information. Also includes layers if saved as LayeredPSD.
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TGA
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Has good compression for higher bit formats, and includes an alpha channel.
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TIFF
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A popular lossless format for photography when image quality is of absolute importance. Also contains layers and an alpha channel.
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Definition of Terms
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Compressed
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Compresses the image through an algorithm, reducing file size.
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Lossless
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Retains image quality during compression.
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Lossy
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Degrades image quality during compression.
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Alpha Channel
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Carries an extra channel for the background layer.
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