GIF
A palette-based raster image format known for simple animations, lossless compression, and broad compatibility.
General information
- Format name
- Graphics Interchange Format
- Extension
.gif- MIME type
image/gif- Category
- image
- Data type
- Binary
- Developer
- CompuServe
- Introduced
- 1987
Image properties
- Structure
- Raster
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- Yes
File signatures
| Offset | Hexadecimal | ASCII | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 47 49 46 38 37 61 | GIF87a | Signature used by GIF87a files. |
| 0 | 47 49 46 38 39 61 | GIF89a | Signature used by GIF89a files. |
Common uses
Short animations
Reaction images
Simple web graphics
Small illustrations
Legacy web images
Related formats
Technical resources
| Resource | Publisher | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics Interchange Format Version 89a | World Wide Web Consortium | Open resource ↗ |
| Media Types Registry | IANA | Open resource ↗ |
Record information
- Verified
- October 3, 2026
- Last updated
- October 3, 2026