An AVIF file or image is a royalty-free, open-source file extension format that uses the popular AV1 video codec. This current image codec uses an efficient compression technique to create smaller images with similar qualities.
The file format is also known as AV1 video codec or AV1 file, and it can be identified using the “.avif†file extension at the end of the name.
Its images stand out among other file formats like PNG and JPG in terms of visual quality and file size. AVIF supports multiple color sub-sampling file formats: YUV 420 and YUV 444.
The YUV 444 sub-sampling minimizes color bleeding in image contents. AVIF users hardly experience ghosts of colors, mosquito noise, pixelation, and fuzzy edges, as in JPEG.
The file format uses 10 and 12-bit color depth, which provides better visual quality and humor to Internet users than GIF, which only allows for 8-bit color depth.
Its images do not display image blocking and compression artifacts, as seen in JPG. AVIF files are smaller than GIF and PNG files. After compression, AVIF files are 78% smaller than GIF files.
PNG files are larger and have fine visual quality, but they could be better for web content than AVIF. AVIF files are significantly smaller than WEBP files, which are comparatively smaller than JPEG or JPG.
History of AVIF files
The AVIF file format was created and released in 2019 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), comprised of high-profile tech firms such as Netflix, Mozilla, Microsoft, Intel, Google, Cisco, and Amazon.
AOM developed various standards and open-source media technologies, such as the AV1 video codec. The organization then created two types of AVIF files: AVIF Advanced Profile and AVIF Baseline Profile.
AVIF Advanced Profile uses AV1 advanced or high profile, and AVIF Baseline Profile uses AV1 main profile. The AV1 level for the Advanced Profile is 6.0 or lower, while the Baseline Profile uses an AV1 level of 5.1 or lower.
AOM mainly created both profiles to overcome the problems associated with traditional image formats like GIF, PNG, and JPEG, such as limited color range and larger file sizes.
AVIF offers royalty-free images with further feature support and better compression efficiency. It makes images smaller while keeping the same image quality. Its images are visually impressive and ten times smaller compared to PNG.
AVIF is a new file format used by 0.1% of popular websites globally, including Google.com, Wordpress.org, Yahoo.com, and Wordpress.com. In the next 10 years, it is expected to replace the ubiquitous file formats PNG and JPG.
Properties of AVIF files
AVIF files adopt the AV1 Video codec, which uses a grander lossless compression technique to produce smaller, detailed images with high sharpness levels.
It supports multichannel and monochrome images with transparent backgrounds or using alpha channels.
Structure
An AVIF file is a raster graphics file format that compresses image data using lossless and lossy methods. The image format consists of a grid of pixels called a dot matrix.
AVIF is structured in a classified form of nested boxes that store metadata and data. It has a File Type Box (ftyp) responsible for identifying the file and specifying the format version used at the top-lying container or box.
The ftyp container comprises additional boxes such as The Item Properties Box (iprp), Item Location Box (iloc), and Media Data Box (mdat) with different metadata and real image information.
The image metadata in an AVIF file is sequentially stored as compressed frames using AV1 codec encoding. Every frame has its storage box (ispe) and a decoder configuration record to offer encoded variables data used for that frame.
AVIF stores multiple images based on the aforementioned modular structure. It also stores other metadata, namely ICC, XMP, and Exif profiles, that offer more information on the image and its development process.
An AVIF file supports resolutions below 16 pixels for each channel in height and width. The file format enables tilling of encrypted file blocks through multiple frames. The coded images supported by AVIF cannot exceed its size limit of 65,536 x 65,536 pixels.
The Baseline profile comprises coded images with pixels not exceeding 8912896 or heights and widths exceeding 4352 and 8192 pixels. Nonetheless, the limit can be surpassed by executing autonomously encoded tiles.
The grander compression techniques support more features, resulting in high-quality AVIF images. The file format supports 8-bit, 10-bit, and 12-bit color depths per channel.
It also supports multiple color sub-sampling formats, such as YUV 420 and YUV 444. AVIF supports Wide Color Range (WCR), ICC profile, Rec 2020, sRGB, and Pro Photo RGB, in addition to the non-standard and standard color spaces.
The maximum color resolution and WCR allow it to represent additional color gradations, resulting in more detailed and high-quality images. AVIF’s bit depth supports WCR and HDR images with enhanced dark and bright tones, resulting in an array of brightness.
The detailed brightness and darkness levels produce visually impressive and realistic images, making AVIF an ideal choice for high-resolution video streaming and image apps.
AVIF uses multiple spatial layer pixels to encode its various frames. Each multi-sample pixel layer has an alpha channel that enhances the resolution of the image decoded. However, not every multi-sample pixel layer in AVIF produces images meant for rendering.
Storage
An AVIF file format encodes and stores data using lossy and lossless compression techniques. The image data and metadata under both techniques are stored as compressed frames using AV1 codec encoding.
The storage time limit for the compressed data depends on the conditions and storage mediums. Often, the image format can last indefinitely with proper handling and storage.
The format images can be stored in the Content Delivery Network (CDN), hard drives, USB flash drives, other file systems, and cloud storage.
Compression
An AVIF image format uses grander, lossless, and low-fidelity lossy compression techniques to create high-quality, small images. The compressed images save bandwidth and increase website responsiveness or decrease webpage loading time.
AVIF’s image compression is a two-fold process:
First, the lossy technique compresses image information in sequences using the AV1 compression algorithm in a HEIF container format. Part of the image data is deleted, leading to a slight loss in image quality.
Second, the lossless compression technique sequentially compresses image information using the AV1 compression algorithm in a HEIF format. The algorithm creates smaller image sizes while preserving all image information, ensuring no loss of image quality.
The AVIF’s lossy compression method integrates algorithms that support variable compression. However, its lossless compression does not permit variable compression.
The file format’s compression methods using the AV1 video codec are necessary when web users, browsers, or developers want much smaller file sizes and high-quality images compared to JPEG files.
It can compress many megabytes into bytes without losing image quality. The file’s compression is also necessary when web developers and designers intend to decrease data usage, facilitate quick access to information, and increase storage space.
Editing
An AVIF file can be edited using image editing software such as Nomacs, nView, VLC, qView, QuickLook, Pixelmator, Photopea, Paintnet, IrfanView, Imageglass, gThumb, Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, and GIMP for Linux and Windows.
An AVIF image can be resized using AVIF Image Resizer, Canva, CapCut, Adobe Photoshop, and Squoosh tools.
The AVIF image editing and resizing tools allow users to change the image dimensions non-proportionally or proportionally based on the new requirements.
Animation
AVIF files support animation and live photos using their multilayer image storage sequence. The file format is compatible with HIEF, which enables image sequences and elements.
Transparency
An AVIF image supports transparency through its alpha channels. The transparent backgrounds allow transparency data to be stored and supported alongside the lossy and lossless data.
AVIF enables data transparency at different image levels and supports object representation in images with well-defined opacities.
The AV1 video codec enables users to enjoy more vibrant and smoother animations without image degradation or loss of color quality.
Unlike in the animated GIF, users enjoy a visually stunning experience from animated AVIF without compromised file sizes.
Animated AVIF files are smaller size-wise and offer superior image quality than animated GIFs, which have larger file sizes. The size of an animated AVIF file significantly reduces website loading time or increases web performance.
On the other hand, animated AVIF is currently limited to Google Chrome, while animated GIFs enjoy widespread support across different browsers. Older apps and browsers like Internet Explorer hardly display animated AVIF files while supporting animated GIFs.
Best use case of AVIF files
An AVIF file is most suitable in:
- Creating images that support various advanced features appropriate for various specialized apps, including graphics, texts, and gradients in movie posters.
- Creating multifaceted user interface and graphics elements that support animation, live photos, and transparency.
- Delivering superior or comparable image quality at an abridged file size.
- Creating smaller files that translate to minimal bandwidth consumption and faster loading time for both applications and websites.
- Creating superior image quality with high color depth, a wide color gamut, and sharp and detailed images after compression.
Unrecommend use cases of AVIF files
An AVIF file is:
- Unsuitable for use in single image formats that require optimization.
- Unsuitable in cases where only older browsers like Internet Explorer are preferred.
AVIF Browser support
AVIF file is widely supported by top desktop and mobile browsers like:
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple’s Safari
- Mozilla Firefox
- Vivaldi
- Samsung Internet
- Brave
- Opera
- Google Chrome
On the other hand, older browsers such as Internet Explorer do not support AVIF.
Facebook supports an AVIF file, but most social media platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Reddit, WeChat, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), and Snapchat, are yet to support it.
Possible AVIF browser Errors
AVIF file users are likely to report the following browser support errors:
- The server test failed error
- Wrong content type error
- AVIF support not found or unsupported file error.
Advantages of AVIF
- Extensive Support and Compatibility: The AVIF file format is supported by key website browsers, namely Edge, Firefox, and Chrome.
- Royalty-Free and Open Source: The AVIF file format is cost-effective and accessible for content creators and developers since the AV1 codec is open source and has no restrictions or licensing fees.
- High-Quality Images: It supports various features, such as transparency, a Wide Color Range, and HDR, that offer viewers a spectacular visual experience.
- Superior Compression Efficiency: The AV1 codec uses an advanced encoding that allows AVIF files to be compressed up to 50% smaller than other formats, like JPEG.
Disadvantages of AVIF
- Deficient Built-in Support in Certain Editing Tools: AVIF supports image editing tools like ImageMagick and GIMP but has no native support for Adobe Photoshop.
- High Encoding Complexity: AVIF developed the AV1 codec using a radical encoding method, which prolongs the encoding period.
- Partially Supported by Older Browsers: Internet Explorer hardly supports AVIF as most current web browsers do, resulting in an inconsistent experience on various devices.
How to open AVIF Files
An AVIF file format can be opened using Microsoft Photos, Microsoft Paint, qView, XnView, Apple Preview, Libavif, File Viewer Plus, gThumb, GIMP, and ImageMagick.
An AVIF file is compatible with macOS, Linux, Android 12, iOS, Windows 10, and later versions.
Converting AVIF
Online AVIF converters can transform or convert this file format to HEIC, PNG, TIFF, GIF, JPG / JPEG, and BMP. Use “convertjack†to convert your file to other formats online.