Editing Alpha compositing (section)

== Image formats supporting alpha channels ==
The most popular image formats that support the alpha channel are [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]] and [[Tagged Image File Format|TIFF]]. [[Graphics Interchange Format|GIF]] supports alpha channels, but is considered to be inefficient when it comes to file size. Support for alpha channels is present in some video codecs, such as Animation and Apple ProRes 4444 of the QuickTime format, or in the Techsmith multi-format codec.

The [[file format]] [[Windows bitmap|BMP]] generally does not support this channel; however, in different formats such as 32-bit (888–8) or 16-bit (444–4) it is possible to save the alpha channel, although not all systems or programs are able to read it: it is exploited mainly in some video games<ref>{{Cite web |title=Creating Textures |url=https://www.echos.ch/eod/help/texturen.htm |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=www.echos.ch}}</ref> or particular applications;<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-04 |title=Extended Formats |url=http://home.arcor.de/zarfirbel/DXT%20BMP/DXTBmp.htm |access-date=2023-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134021/http://home.arcor.de/zarfirbel/DXT%20BMP/DXTBmp.htm |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> specific programs have also been created for the creation of these BMPs.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! File/Codec format<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pixelbakery.com/recipes/video-image-formats |title=List of Video/Image Formats Supporting Alpha Channels |last=Lambrecht |first=Jordan |date=2022-12-31 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Pixel Bakery Design Studio}}</ref> !! Maximum Depth 
!Type!! Browser support !! Media type !! Notes
|-
| [[Apple ProRes|Apple ProRes 4444]] || 16-bit 
| || None || Video (.mov) || ProRes is the successor of the [[Apple Intermediate Codec]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/au/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/support.html|title=Final Cut Pro 6 - Broad Format Support.|website=apple.com|access-date=2024-08-13|archive-date=2011-06-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608065728/http://www.apple.com/au/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/support.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[High Efficiency Video Coding|HEVC]] / h.265 ||10-bit 
| || Limited to [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]] ||Video (.hevc) || Intended successor to [[H.264]]<ref name=FirstJCTVCMeetingDresden>{{cite web|url=http://www.h265.net/2010/06/the-first-jct-vc-meeting-dresden-de.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625022448/http://www.h265.net/2010/06/the-first-jct-vc-meeting-dresden-de.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 25, 2010 |title=The First JCT-VC Meeting, Dresden, DE |author=Jie Dong |publisher=H265.net |date=2010-06-19 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref><ref name=StatusH265July2008>{{cite web|url=http://www.h265.net/2008/07/current-status-of-h265.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712015245/http://www.h265.net/2008/07/current-status-of-h265.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 12, 2008 |title=Current Status of H.265 (as at July 2008) |author=Jie Dong |publisher=H265.net |date=2008-07-01 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref><ref name=NGVCRequirements2009>{{cite web|url=http://www.h265.net/2009/04/the-preliminary-requirements-for-ngvc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513034217/http://www.h265.net/2009/04/the-preliminary-requirements-for-ngvc.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 13, 2009 |title=The Preliminary Requirements for NGVC |author=Yu Liu |publisher=H265.net |date=2009-04-15 |access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>
|-
|[[WebM]] (codec video VP8, VP9, or AV1) || 12-bit 
| || All modern browsers ||Video (.webm) || While VP8/VP9 is widely supported with modern browsers, AV1 still has limited support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AV1 video format {{!}} Can I use... Support tables for HTML5, CSS3, etc |url=https://caniuse.com/av1 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=caniuse.com}}</ref> Only [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]]-based browsers will display alpha layers.
|- 
|[[OpenEXR]] || 32-bit 
| || None || Image (.exr) || Has largest HDR spread.
|- 
| [[PNG]]|| 16-bit 
|straight|| All modern browsers || Image (.png) ||
|-
| [[APNG]]|| 24-bit 
|straight|| Moderate support || Image (.apng) || Supports animation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB); MOT SlideShow; User Application (pdf) Specification |url=http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/101400_101499/101499/02.02.01_60/ts_101499v020201p.pdf |access-date=13 August 2024 |publisher=ETSI}}</ref>
|- 
| [[TIFF]]|| 32-bit 
|both|| None || Image (.tiff) ||
|-
|[[GIF]]|| 8-bit 
| || All modern browsers || Image (.gif) || Browsers generally do not support GIF alpha layers.
|-
|[[SVG]] || 32-bit 
|straight|| All modern browsers || Image (.svg) || Based on CSS color.<ref name="colr">{{cite web |url=http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/color.html |title=SVG specification, "Color" |publisher=World Wide Web Consortium |date=14 January 2003 |access-date=13 August 2024 |archive-date=7 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907075028/http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/color.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[JPEG XL]]
|32-bit
|both
|Moderate support
|Image (.jxl)
|Allows lossy and HDR.<ref>{{cite web |last=@chromium.org |first=de... |date=2022-08-24 |title=JPEG XL decoding support (image/jxl) in blink (tracking bug) |url=https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1178058 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=bugs.chromium.org}}</ref>
|}