AVIF

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a next-generation image format that offers significantly better compression than JPG, PNG, or WebP — producing smaller files at comparable or higher visual quality.

How AVIF compares

AVIF is built on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media — a consortium including Google, Apple, Mozilla, and others. This foundation gives AVIF access to advanced compression techniques that were originally designed for video.

Compared to JPG, AVIF produces files that are roughly 50% smaller at the same perceived quality. Where JPG introduces visible block artifacts around text and sharp edges, AVIF handles these elements more gracefully, making it a strong candidate for screenshots and UI content.

Compared to WebP, AVIF achieves an additional 20-30% reduction in file size at equivalent quality. Both formats support lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and animation, but AVIF's compression efficiency is measurably better across most content types.

Compared to PNG, AVIF lossless produces smaller files, though the difference is less dramatic than the lossy comparisons. The real advantage appears when using AVIF lossy at high quality settings — you can achieve near-lossless visual results at a fraction of PNG's file size.

The trade-off is encoding speed. AVIF is significantly slower to encode than JPG, PNG, or WebP. Decoding speed is also somewhat slower, though modern hardware handles AVIF decoding without noticeable delay.

Browser and tool support

Browser support for AVIF has expanded steadily. Chrome and Firefox added support early, and Safari joined with version 16.4. Edge, Opera, and all Chromium-based browsers support AVIF natively. This covers the vast majority of web traffic, though not quite as broadly as WebP or JPG.

On the tooling side, adoption is progressing. Image editing applications like GIMP and Photoshop (via plugins) can handle AVIF. Operating system support is growing — macOS and Windows have added native AVIF viewing in recent versions.

For screenshot and capture workflows, some modern tools now include AVIF as an export option. The slower encoding speed means AVIF is better suited for batch processing or post-capture optimization than for real-time capture-and-save operations.

When to use AVIF

• Web performance optimization — AVIF's superior compression makes it the best current choice for reducing image payload on websites. Serve AVIF with WebP and JPG fallbacks for maximum coverage.
• Image archives and storage — when storing large volumes of screenshots or images, AVIF's smaller file sizes reduce storage costs meaningfully over time.
• High-quality social sharing — platforms that support AVIF let you share images that look better at the same file size, preserving detail in screenshots and photographs.
• Documentation with many images — knowledge bases and documentation sites with hundreds of embedded screenshots benefit from AVIF's compression advantage.
• Pre-processed asset pipelines — workflows where images are captured once, processed in batch, and served many times. The slower encoding is a one-time cost that pays off with every download.

Export tools that support AVIF alongside other formats let you choose the best format for each destination without separate conversion steps.

Common mistakes

• Using AVIF where encoding speed matters. If your workflow requires instant save-and-share, AVIF's encoding time creates friction. Use WebP or PNG for real-time capture and convert to AVIF later if needed.
• Serving AVIF without fallbacks. Not all browsers and platforms support AVIF yet. Always provide a WebP or JPG fallback to avoid broken images for unsupported clients.
• Over-compressing screenshots. AVIF's lossy mode at aggressive quality settings can blur text and fine UI details. Use lossless or high quality settings for screenshots with readable text.
• Ignoring the format for batch workflows. If you process and store large volumes of images, not evaluating AVIF means missing significant storage and bandwidth savings.