AVIF vs. EPS: Which Format is better?

By Admin | Updated 19th July, 2024

EPS vs. AVIF

Table of contents

EPS and AVIF are widely used image formats in graphic design and web development. The two formats could be more incomparable regarding their resourceful capabilities, making it difficult for web developers and graphic designers to choose the best format for a specific project. 

The article comprehensively analyzes the technical differences and similarities involving EPS vs. AVIF, such as file size, image quality, browser support, structure, compression method, storage requirements, online performance, animation, and transparency support.

When is AVIF better than EPS?

AVIF images are smaller, high-quality, and highly web responsive, lowering bandwidth expenses and ensuring a better online user experience, while EPS files are larger and high-quality but load slower online, resulting in more bandwidth costs and a lower user experience.  

The AVIF file extension is suitable for creating multidimensional graphics elements and user interfaces. It has inherent support for transparent backgrounds, live pictures, and animations. 

When is EPS better than AVIF?

EPS images allow upward and downward scaling without distorting resolution and quality levels, while AVIF images are raster-based and become blurred when scaled upward or downward. Thus, the EPS format is ideal for expanded images, such as inclusive advertising collateral or billboards readable from a distance.

The EPS file extension is extensively supported and compatible with most software programs, platforms, and applications. It also allows easy embedding in documents such as InDesign layouts, Word, and PDF. 

EPS versus AVIF Table Comparison

Aspect/FactorAVIFEPS
Transparency Inherently supports transparency No inherent support for transparency.
File SizeSmaller files than EPS files.Larger files than AVIF files. 
Image Quality Excellent image quality.  High-quality images.
PerformanceLoads faster on websites compared to EPS.Loads slower on websites compared to AVIF.
Structure Raster graphic with nested boxes: Actual image data box, Container Box, File Type Box, and metadata. A vector graphics with a header, metadata, and file markers. 
Animation Supports animations.Does not support animation. 
StorageSmaller with less storage space demand than EPS.Larger with more storage space demand than AVIF. 
CompressionSupport lossless and lossy compression Supports lossless and PackBits/ZIP compression. 
Browser SupportBroader web browser support than EPS.Limited browser support. 

Differences and similarities between AVIF and EPS images

Differences and similarities between AVIF and EPS images

EPS and AVIF file types are critical image formats in the digital arena, both supporting lossless compression. It can be discovered that the files are dissimilar in file size, image quality, storage needs, lossy and PackBits/ZIP compression, browser support, structure, transparency, animation, and web performance when doing an AVIF versus EPS analysis.

Transparency

The EPS format does not support transparency. The EPS files depend on their textual forms, which only use the PostScript programming language and do not have the integral ability to support transparent backgrounds.

In contrast, AVIF files support alpha channel transparency. They enable the creation, saving, and support of transparent data with lossy and lossless data. Their file extensions support the desired image objects with clear-cut opacity, giving them an edge over their competitor, EPS format.

File Size

AVIF vs. EPS file size

AVIF files are smaller than EPS files. AVIF file type supports the advanced and most efficient lossy and lossless compression with AV1 video codec algorithms to reduce file sizes. As such, AVIF files are significantly smaller and load faster online compared to EPS files. 

Conversely, the EPS file format uses lossless and PackBits/ZIP compression, which hardly deletes any image or file data. The compression technique preserves all data, making the file comparatively larger than AVIF files.

Image Quality

AVIF and EPS files are high-resolution and high-quality file formats. EPS read supports 1-bit, 8-bit, and 24-bit color channels, including CMYK, Grayscale, and RGBA color profiles. It contains bitmap data and retains individual coding on color and size. 

On the other hand, the AVIF file format supports 8-bit, 10-bit, and 12-bit color depths per channel, including the non-standard and standard color spaces. An AVIF file extension supports multiple color sub-sampling formats, such as Pro Photo RGB, YUV 420, ICC profile, High Dynamic Range (HDR), Rec 2020, Wide Color Range (WCR), sRGB, and YUV 444. Besides. 

Performance

AVIF files are more flexible than EPS files regarding loading times. EPS is vector-based and can hold multiple files, making it larger than AVIFs. Lossless EPS retains all image data, resulting in larger files than AVIFs. As a result, EPS files consume more bytes, necessitate more bandwidth costs, and load slower on websites than AVIF files. 

Structure

EPS is a vector-based image, whereas AVIF is a raster-based file format. An EPS file contains mathematical equations and graphics defining the image shapes, lines, and colors. The graphics include lines and curves instead of pixels, which separates them from different raster file types or image formats. 

An EPS file comprises a header, encapsulated image data, a PostScript Program, and an end-of-file marker. The header often contains primary data about the file, such as the version number, the bounding image box, and resolution levels.

Conversely, an AVIF file consists of a grid of pixels called a dot matrix. Its structure has nested boxes that store metadata and data, including the File Type Box (ftyp) meant to identify and specify the file format version used at the top-lying container or box.

The ftyp has a Media Data Box (mdat), Item Location Box (iloc), and The Item Properties Box (iprp) with actual image data and metadata. It stores its metadata serially as compressed frames using AV1. All frames have storage boxes (ispe) followed by a decoder configuration record to supply the encoded variables. 

Animation

The EPS file format does not support animation, while the AVIF file types do. EPS only supports still images because it lacks multimedia abilities to support live content, animated images, or animations. Its files are intended for specialized printing and, therefore, unsuitable for screen-based displays or animations.

AVIF files support animation and live photos using their multilayer image storage sequence. This file type is compatible with HIEF, allowing various image structures and elements to be manipulated and used to create animations. 

Storage

AVIF stores lossless and lossy compressed data using AV1 codec algorithms, while EPS stores data compressed using lossless or PackBits/ZIP compression. EPS retains all image data, including vector-based lines, shapes, and texts, in multiple files, making them larger and needing more storage space than AVIF. 

AVIF and EPS file data can be stored forever on Cloud, Content Delivery Network, Floppy Drives, File Systems, Base64 Encoding, and Hard Drives. Nonetheless, the storage period is indefinite when files are correctly handled and stored under suitable conditions.

Compression 

AVIF vs. EPS compression

AVIF uses lossless and low-fidelity lossy compression methods to create high-quality, small images. Its lossy technique compresses image data serially using the AV1 codec algorithm in a HEIF container format. It also deletes specific image data, slightly lowering image quality. AVIF’s lossless compression creates smaller image sizes while preserving all image information, ensuring no loss of image quality.  On the other hand, EPS uses lossless and PackBits/ZIP using LZW algorithms to reduce file sizes but retain all image data, giving rise to slightly smaller but higher-quality images. 

Browser Support

AVIF enjoys broader web browser support than EPS. For example, it is universally supported by modern and new web browsers, including Samsung Internet, Opera, Chrome, Safari, Discord, Edge, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Brave, but it is incompatible with Internet Explorer. 

In contrast, EPS is only supported by Google Chrome but unsupported by Firefox, Opera, Samsung Internet, Discord, Intern Explorer, Brave, Safari, Edge, and Vivaldi. Still, Google Chrome needs further file support plug-ins or extensions like PostScript Compiler or Viewer to preview EPS files.

Convert AVIF to EPS or EPS to AVIF 

Convert AVIF to EPS online using convertjack. Users like graphic designers and web developers use EPS because the format allows images to be scaled up or down while ensuring high-resolution and high-quality levels at different screen sizes.  

Similarly, convertjack is the most advanced and new EPS to AVIF converter, used in producing freely accessible and personalized documents. AVIF files are royalty-free, open-source, smaller, high-quality, and highly web-efficient, improving user experience and optimizing search engines.