AV1 Image File Format (MIME: image/avif) is a next-generation image format based on the AV1 video codec, offering the best compression efficiency among current web image formats — up to 50% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality.
History and Development
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) was finalized in 2019 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), whose members include Google, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, and Amazon. It's based on the royalty-free AV1 video codec. Browser support has grown rapidly: Chrome (2020), Firefox (2021), Safari (2023). AVIF represents the cutting edge of image compression technology.
Technical Specifications
- Compression: Lossy and lossless (AV1 codec)
- Color depth: Up to 12-bit per channel (HDR support)
- Color spaces: sRGB, Display P3, BT.2020 (wide gamut)
- Transparency: Full alpha channel
- Animation: Supported (AVIF sequence)
- HDR: Native HDR and wide color gamut support
- Max resolution: 65,536 × 65,536 pixels
Common Use Cases
AVIF is ideal for web photography where maximum compression is needed, HDR content, streaming platforms, and forward-looking web projects. Netflix uses AVIF for thumbnails. It's particularly effective for images with gradients and subtle textures where JPEG shows banding.
AVIF vs Similar Formats
- AVIF vs JPEG: AVIF achieves ~50% smaller files at equivalent visual quality. However, encoding is slower.
- AVIF vs WebP: AVIF offers 20% better compression than WebP, plus HDR support. WebP encodes faster and has wider current support.
- AVIF vs JPEG XL: Both are next-gen formats. AVIF has better browser support; JPEG XL offers progressive decoding and lossless JPEG recompression.
How to Open and Edit
Chrome, Firefox, and Safari (16.4+) support AVIF natively. macOS Ventura+ and Windows 11 can preview AVIF. Edit with GIMP 2.10.32+, Photoshop (with plugin), or Squoosh.app. For batch conversion, use libavif tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AVIF ready for production use?
Yes for most web projects. Browser support is over 93% globally (2024). Use with a JPEG/WebP fallback for maximum compatibility.
Why is AVIF encoding slow?
AV1 encoding is computationally expensive. A single image can take 1-10 seconds to encode vs milliseconds for JPEG. This is acceptable for batch processing but limits real-time use.