WebP
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for both lossy and lossless images. It typically produces files 25-35% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality and supports transparency and animation. WebP is now supported by all major browsers.
MIME Type
image/webp
Type
Binary
Compression
Lossy
Advantages
- + 25-35% smaller files than JPEG at same quality
- + Supports both lossy and lossless compression
- + Alpha transparency and animation support
- + Supported by all modern browsers
Disadvantages
- − Not supported by some legacy software and browsers
- − Slightly slower encoding than JPEG
- − Less adoption in print workflows
When to Use .WEBP
Use WebP as the primary image format for websites when broad browser support is available. It offers the best size-to-quality ratio for most use cases.
Technical Details
WebP lossy uses VP8 predictive coding; lossless uses entropy coding with spatial prediction. It supports alpha transparency in both modes and animation via extended file format.
History
WebP was announced by Google in 2010, based on the VP8 video codec's intra-frame encoding. It gained widespread browser support by 2020 when Safari added native support.
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