GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

GIF files have been around since the mid-to-late 1980's and were introduced by CompuServe as a way to compress color images into small file sizes suitable for downloading, at which time most download speeds were limited. The format allows varying-size color palettes of up to 256 colors in total to be defined from a palette of 16 million colors.

Later on, the ability to add animations to the GIF file format was added. GIF files became a popular image file format for the early internet due to their small size, large color palette, and animation capabilities, and they are still popular today.