best image format for line drawings?

[PJ6]

I am rendering a few graphs with GDI+ and sending images to a web page. What
image format is lightweight and the best for presenting line drawings
sharply and without compression artifacts? GIF? PNG? JPG is too muddy, and
BMP is too big.

Paul

 

[Nick Chan]

I always use png now
no muddy jpg, no 'unreliable' gif
quite small too

 

[Kevin Spencer]

The advantage of the GIF format is that it is paletted, which means that if
an image has fewer colors, you can use a smaller, selective palette. This
reduces the size of the file without compression. The smaller the number of
colors in the palette, the smaller the image. PNG is not universally
supported, and is not particularly small in size. It's greatest selling
point is its ability to store variable alpha (transparency). GIF has alpha,
but uses a single color for transparency, and the transparency is either off
or on for any pixel, rather than variable. So, assuming that your graphs
have only a few colors in them, GIF might be your best bet.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP

DSI PrintManager, Miradyne Component Libraries:
http://www.miradyne.net