GIF and BMP explained
GIF is a 1987 format limited to a 256-colour palette per frame, with support for simple animation and one fully transparent colour. Its longevity is cultural rather than technical — nothing about it is efficient by modern standards.
BMP stores pixels essentially raw, with little or no compression. A 1920×1080 BMP is around 6 MB regardless of what the picture contains, because every pixel takes the same space whether it is part of a gradient or a flat colour.
- Where GIF files come from
- Reaction images, simple UI animations, and screen recordings shared in chat.
- Where BMP is used
- Legacy Windows software, some scientific and industrial imaging tools.