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Web Picture format · .webp

The WebP format

A single modern format covering the jobs JPEG, PNG and animated GIF used to split between them — usually at a noticeably smaller size.

WebP exists to reduce the weight of images on the web, and it does so by refusing to specialise. One format offers lossy compression for photographs, lossless compression for graphics, transparency in either mode, and animation — so the choice stops being about which format and becomes about which setting.

The format itself

What WebP actually is

Google introduced WebP in 2010, building its lossy mode on the intra-frame coding of the VP8 video codec. That heritage matters: video encoders spend their effort predicting blocks from already-decoded neighbours before compressing what is left, and applying that prediction machinery to a still image squeezes out redundancy that JPEG’s simpler block transform leaves behind.

The lossless mode is a separate design rather than the same algorithm turned down. It uses its own set of transforms and an entropy coder tuned for the flat colour, repeated patterns and sharp boundaries typical of graphics, which is why WebP can act as a PNG substitute rather than only a JPEG one.

Crucially, alpha transparency is available in both modes. A lossy WebP can have a transparent background — something JPEG cannot do at all and PNG can only do in its much larger lossless form. Animation is supported too, giving a direct and far more efficient replacement for animated GIF. Current versions of every major browser decode all of this natively.

Where it is the right answer

Common uses

  • 01

    Photographic imagery on websites where page weight and load time are measured and budgeted

  • 02

    Transparent graphics that would otherwise have to ship as large lossless PNGs

  • 03

    Short looping animations replacing animated GIFs at a fraction of the size

  • 04

    Responsive image sets served to modern browsers with a JPEG or PNG fallback behind them

  • 05

    Page previews and image galleries generated from documents for fast in-browser viewing

Both sides

What WebP does well, and where it stops.

Strengths

  • Typically noticeably smaller than JPEG at comparable perceived quality, and smaller than PNG on graphics
  • One format for both lossy and lossless work, removing the need to decide upfront
  • Alpha transparency in lossy mode — a combination neither JPEG nor practical PNG offers
  • Animation support, making it a genuine replacement for animated GIF rather than a partial one
  • Natively decoded by all current mainstream browsers, with no plugin or polyfill

Limitations

  • Support outside browsers is patchier. Older desktop applications, some image editors and many print workflows still will not open it.
  • Print and prepress pipelines generally expect TIFF, PDF or high-quality JPEG; WebP is rarely a welcome hand-off there.
  • Lossy WebP is still lossy, so the same generation-loss caution applies to repeated editing and re-saving.
  • No CMYK support, which rules it out for colour-critical commercial printing.
  • Colleagues receiving a .webp by email may simply be unable to open it with whatever is installed on their machine.

Specification

Technical detail

The facts worth knowing before choosing WebP for a job, rather than after.

Full name
Web Picture format
MIME type
image/webp
Extension
.webp
Introduced
2010, by Google
Based on
VP8 intra-frame coding
Compression modes
Lossy and lossless
Transparency
Alpha channel in both lossy and lossless modes
Animation
Supported
Browser support
Native in all current mainstream browsers

Tools that apply

Converting WebP in your browser

Each listed MyPDFilles conversion runs on your device: the file is read from your disk, converted in the tab and handed back as a download. Educational references to external software are not covered by that claim.

Questions about WebP

Is WebP always smaller than JPEG?

Usually, but not invariably. At comparable perceived quality WebP is normally the smaller file, sometimes substantially. On some images — and at very high quality settings — the margin narrows or reverses, so if size is critical it is worth encoding both and comparing.

Why will my image editor not open a .webp file?

Because desktop software adopted the format much later than browsers did. Current releases of most major editors handle it, but older versions and many smaller utilities have no decoder. Converting to PNG or JPEG first is the pragmatic fix.

Should I choose lossy or lossless WebP?

Match the content, as you would when choosing between JPEG and PNG. Photographs belong in lossy mode. Screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with sharp edges or text belong in lossless mode, where WebP typically still beats PNG on size.

Can I use WebP for print?

It is a poor choice. Print workflows want CMYK support and formats their software has handled for decades — TIFF, PDF or a high-quality JPEG. WebP is an RGB, web-delivery format and most prepress tooling does not accept it.

Compare with

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