What's HEIC Format And How Can It Benefit Me And My Business?
If you’re using one of the latest models of iPhone, you’ll notice that it takes photos in a different format— HEIC. The acronym stands for High Efficiency Image Container, a format that presents its own unique attributes and can be useful in many scenarios.
Photos are a big part of the way we communicate. When taking a media communications degree, one will likely study photography at some point or another. On the business front, images are a major factor in your company’s communications and marketing too.
Facebook posts with images get 2.3X more engagement than those that don’t. And while we have long used JPEG and PNG images when posting them on our website, social media accounts, or using them in print materials, it might be good to understand what HEIC images are and how they can actually be useful for business owners, marketers, and graphic designers.
The Benefits of Using HEIC Images
In 2013, the main use cases for HEIF (High Efficiency Image File) were defined. It took one and a half years to develop the specs of the format and would launch in mid-2015. Apple would become one of the first major adopters of the format back in 2017 when it launched iOS 11 with the HEIC format as an option on their phone. Today, when using the iPhone or iPad in its default settings, the images will come in a HEIC format.
Apple adapted the HEIC format with a specific use in mind, and these functions can actually bring certain benefits to people who use and store images. Let’s discuss some of the most common benefits of using HEIC images over JPEG or PNG ones.
Lesser Storage
Before converting HEIC to JPG, ask yourself this question — am I going to use this or store this? In cases where you’re looking to store files, you might actually want to keep it in HEIC format as it takes less storage. Hard Drive space has become a hot commodity, and cloud storage is even more in-demand. Moreover, they most often come at a higher price tag too.
So the natural thing to do if you want to save money for yourself or your business is to save files in the smallest storage capacity possible. HEIC makes for a good storage format, meaning you can keep photos in the archive without eating a significant portion of online or offline storage.
Good Compressed Quality
Despite being in a compressed format, HEIC files actually compress quite well. Overall, there is very little to no difference in color, pixelations, sharpness, or any other factor between HEIC and JPEG images. Low-resolution images can become a painful issue when working with photos for commercial use. It’s best to keep images in the best resolution and quality to have the best images ready when you need them to promote a brand, product, or service.
Nature
The nature of a HEIC image also presents an edge as it allows for more images and visual formats such as live photos, animations, sequences, and others. HEIC images also hold burst images in one file instead of having dozens or hundreds of versions of the same sequence. A JPEG and PNG image can only hold one photo in a file, meaning HEIC has a more flexible nature.
Color
Typically, JPEG images are 8-bit, whereas HEIC files are 16-bit, which means that HEIC files capture and contain more color. Moreover, users can easily modify HEIC images by adding a middle ground, background, or foreground or maintaining the original image when one rotates or crops them. One of the best applications that can act as a HEIC viewer or editor is Apple’s Photos app, which allows extensive editing.
When to Convert a HEIC to JPEG
Given that HEIC is a relatively new format, it does, of course, have its limitations. The most prominent one being compatibility. Most, if not all Apple-based applications, can open a HEIC file, but that might not be the case for Windows or Android users. There are also some popular applications that have that same limitation. Opening a HEIC file on Photoshop might prove to be a problem, but opening it in Lightroom won’t.
In these cases, you will need a HEIC converter so you can convert HEIC images to JPEG or PNG. The best free HEIC converter allows for batch conversion, so you can save time when converting a large collection of files.
Images in Business
We use images in businesses all the time, and the growth of digital platforms and E-commerce will only push that envelope further. 75% of online shoppers rely on product images when deciding on purchases. As our use-case of images expands through the years, so will the applications and phases they will go through. Having an idea of all the formats will help you understand what format works best for which scenario.