Files with the .GIF extension contain images saved without loss using a palette of up to 256 indexed colors that have been either predefined or adapted to the specific colors of the image. They support pixel transparency, but only in full form. They can also be used as a recording format for basic animations.

The GIF format is usually used to save graphics on the Internet - images or graphics with text, less often images, because the number of colors of a single GIF file is limited and the JPEG format works better for this purpose. Examples of GIF files can be buttons on a website or simple animations. Images with a transparent background adapt to the background of the page on which they are placed. The GIF format does not support transparency shading.