What is WebP? What is WebP for?

What is WebP used for? Why WebP?  Users of the web and even developers can benefit from the high-quality images that WebP provides while benefiting from the drastically reduced file sizes. WebP images, according to Google, are 30% smaller in size compared to PNGs and JPEGs. In most cases, the images make up more than half of a page’s total payload.

WebP is a cutting-edge format for images on the web that offers superior lossless and lossy compression. WebP allows web developers and webmasters to make smaller, richer images without sacrificing quality, thus speeding up the web. Images saved in WebP’s lossless format are much smaller than those saved in PNG.

Google developed a new image format for the web called WebP. This format can reduce the file size of images while maintaining the same level of quality as other image formats. 

To begin, Google introduced this format on September 30, 2010, making it the first of its kind. The reason it is brought up is due to image compression: the webP format allows you to display lossless graphics in 24-bit while maintaining the same quality as JPEG.

To redefine it, it is an image format emphasizing lossless compression. Your issue is that other browsers are working on implementing it, but Chrome is the only browser that currently supports it natively. Chrome is the browser that currently supports it natively.

This post will continue our exploration of the question “what is WebP?” and provide additional information regarding the WebP file format.

Many different types of files can be used when storing images in preparation for their use on the internet. PNG, JPEG (or JPG), and GIF are the three formats that are most frequently used. Although these formats are widely used, each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages:

• PNGs are the format of choice for images that do not contain essential data, such as logos or screenshots of interfaces. They are great at keeping their quality even after being compressed and support transparency, but they are not very useful for photographing objects.

• Because JPEGs can display images with a high level of detail and many colors, they are ideal for use with photographs. On the other hand, the files are frequently huge and don’t always fare well after being compressed.

• GIFs are great for animations but are not the best format for saving still images.

Google developed the WebP image format to allow the display of images on the internet at a quality level comparable to that of previously used image formats while maintaining a smaller file size for the images themselves.

To accomplish this, WebP offers options for compression that are both ‘lossy’ and ‘lossless.’ The second option keeps more of the original data, while the first option reduces the size of the files that are created.

What is WebP for?

Since its inception, WebP’s primary goal has been to reduce the overall size of images hosted on the web by as much as possible. 

According to Google, images and graphics saved in the WebP format are approximately thirty per cent smaller than files saved in the PNG or JPEG formats, but the image quality is identical. WebP is the only format that supports lossless and lossy compression, in contrast to the other two formats, which only support one or the other.

This format’s adaptability can accommodate not only photographs but also other types of images and graphics that are relatively small. 

The following is a synopsis of the compression features, in addition to the other fundamental characteristics of the WebP format:

•  Transparency: The WebP format’s 8-bit alpha channel can also be used for lossy RGB compression in addition to its other uses.
• Compression (lossy): WebP uses VP8 keyframe encoding for its lossy compression method.
• Lossless compression: WebP’s lossless compression is based on various techniques that transform the image’s parameters and data. Several different algorithms, including LZ77, are utilized in this particular scenario.
• Metadata: WebP can include metadata such as EXIF and XMP, typically produced by cameras.
• Color Profile: Google’s format might have built-in ICC profiles for color management (records that describe the color space).
• Animations: You can store image sequences using the WebP format, which helps create animations.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Employing WebP Images on your Website.

Now that we’ve established response to the question, “what WebP?”, let’s talk about why it’s essential by analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of using WebP images when developing websites:

• Use less of your available bandwidth. Bandwidth is the rate at which data or information can be transferred from your server to the end users of your network within a specified amount of time.
By releasing space in a website’s bandwidth, WebP makes it possible for those websites to serve more content. This is of utmost significance for websites primarily consisting of images, such as those devoted to food, travel, or photography blogs.

• Images can be viewed that are of high quality. There is no need to reduce the image quality to load pages more quickly. You can improve users’ overall experience when they visit your website by utilizing WebP, which enables you to have the best.

• Improves the overall performance of the website. In comparison to JPEG and PNG, the WebP format is more lightweight. The loading time of a website is improved when its image files are smaller.

• Work on increasing your site’s search engine optimization (SEO). Because lighter images result in faster page loads, the site’s ranking in search engines like Google will improve directly from this change.

• Demonstrates a wide variety of picture formats. Images that are transparent and animated can be saved in WebP format.

WebP Drawbacks

You still lose quality—This isn’t so much a WebP-specific drawback as it is a drawback shared by all lossy compression formats. The difference may seem inconsequential, but it’s crucial for visual sites like photography or design portfolios.

Compare WebP, PNG, JPEG, and GIF

WebP: The WebP file format competes directly with the JPG format. This is because, as we have seen, JPG is the most commonly used for images on the internet, and Google developed the WebP format to optimize this process.

In addition to the space savings that the lossy compression that the JPG format entailed, we can upload images to the internet thanks to the lossless compression capacity of WebP. In doing so, we do not experience any degradation in the image’s overall quality.

GIF: Images can be compressed in the GIF format without losing quality; however, the color palette is restricted to only 256 options. It is utilized in graphics with a limited color palette, most notably in image sequences, which is the application for which this format is typically known.

JPG: Because of its superior ability to reproduce colors and images with shadows, the JPG file format has become the industry standard for storing photographs. It allows for different levels of compression, and the faster the load speed, the smaller the space that can be compressed.

Because of its function of lossy compression, this format is the one that is used the most on the internet. As we have seen, this function allows us to save significant space. Although some of the photo’s finer details will be lost, the loading time will be reduced.

PNG: There are two variations of the PNG file format: 8 Bit and 24 Bit. The first format is highly comparable to the GIF format, and the second format reproduces colors similarly to the JPG format. PNG is primarily used when we do not mind having a huge file, whether for logos or images with transparency, as it is lossless when it comes to compression.

How to Open WebP Files

Open the file in your browser like any other image file. Drag the icon of the WebP file onto the browser window to open it there, or right-click the webP file and choose “Open with” to open it in the appropriate program or browser.

Is it Possible to Convert the WebP file to Other Image Formats?

Yes. While it is true that not all online browsers and picture viewers support WebP just yet, its emergence and superior compression and image quality make it well worth the wait. WebP images can be compressed effectively without any noticeable loss in image quality.

If you already have a picture saved in WebP format, you can utilize specific web applications to convert it to another image format. If you desire to convert an image to a GIF, PNG, JPeg, and even MP4, one of the best online tools for doing so is ezgif.com.

• WebP to GIF conversion.

• WebP to JPG conversion.

• WebP to PNG conversion.

• Converting WebP to MP4

For example, to convert WebP to PNG using ezgif.com, follow these steps.

1. Launch ezgif.com

2. Click browse to select the WebP image you want to convert or input the URL of the image.

3. Click Upload to upload the image file.

4. Click Convert to convert the file to PNG.

5. Click save to save the converted image from WebP to PNG.

See the result below

Final Thought

WebP is a next-generation image format that offers improvements over JPEG and PNG. It provides advanced compression technologies that preserve image quality while minimizing file size.

In response to the question, “What is WebP?,” we have provided web users and developers with answers and benefits of using WebP. We have investigated how to convert WebP to PNG image format and other pertinent information and guide.

Frequently Asked Questions in answer to the question, What is WebP?

Should I use WebP image?

WebP achieves, on average, 30% more compression than JPEG and JPEG 2000 without degrading image quality (see Comparative Study). The essential goal of the WebP format is to produce smaller, higher-quality images that can aid in the speed of the web.

What is WebP format used for?

Simply put, WebP is a cutting-edge image format that offers better lossless and lossy compression than any other popular web image format.

WebP allows webmasters and developers to make smaller, richer images while keeping the web speedy. Compared to PNGs, the size of lossless images saved in WebP is reduced by 26%.

What is the Benefit of WebP?
WebP achieves, on average, 30% more compression than JPEG and JPEG 2000 without degrading image quality (see Comparative Study).

The essential goal of the WebP format is to produce smaller, higher-quality images that can contribute to a quicker web experience.

How do I open a WebP image?

WebP document. Please right-click on it. Click the “Open With” drop-down menu.
Locate the WebP file you wish to view.
To open the file, simply click on it twice.
You’ll be greeted with a Google Chrome window.

Is WebP supported by all browsers 2022?
WebP has captured 97% of the market share of web browsers as of the year 2022. This includes Opera, Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge and Edge.

It is now standard practice for content management systems (CMSs) like Webflow and graphics tools like Photoshop to support WebP images.

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