.QIF File Association 2 Compressed image created by Apple QuickTime, a video player; sometimes referenced by QuickTime movies (.MOV files); uses a single-fork format instead of resource and data forks, which works well for cross-platform applications. More Information QIF files are saved using "atoms," which are the basic units or structures that QuickTime uses to store information. QIF files use the same atom types as a QuickTime movie, which are "idsc" (stores the image descript...

.QIF File Extension What is a QIF file? A QIF file is an ASCII text file generated by Quicken financial software. It contains a user's financial liability and cash accounts in a text format that can easily be read by other programs, including text editors. QIF files are used to transfer data between different Quicken data files or from a financial institution's website to Quicken software. More Information The QIF format was originally developed by Intuit, but it is now supported...

.MOV File Extension What is a MOV file? A MOV file is a common multimedia container file format developed by Apple and compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. It may contain multiple tracks that store different types of media data and is often used for saving movies and other video files. MOV files commonly use the MPEG-4 codec for compression. MOV files may contain video, audio, timecode, and text tracks, which can be used to store and synchronize different types of media...

Page Layout Definition Page layout refers to the arrangement of text, images, and other objects on a page. The term was initially used in desktop publishing (DTP), but is now commonly used to describe the layout of webpages as well. Page layout techniques are used to customize the appearance of magazines, newspapers, books, websites, and other types of publications. The page layout of a printed or electronic document encompasses all elements of the page. This includes the page margins, text blo...

GIF Definition Stands for "Graphics Interchange Format." GIF is an image file format commonly used for images on the web and sprites in software programs. Unlike the JPEG image format, GIFs uses lossless compression that does not degrade the quality of the image. However, GIFs store image data using indexed color, meaning a standard GIF image can include a maximum of 256 colors. The original GIF format, also known as "GIF 87a," was published by CompuServe in 1987. In 1989, CompuServe released ...

MP3 Definition Stands for "MPEG Audio Layer-3." MP3 is a compressed audio file format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). A typical MP3 file sounds similar to the original recording, but requires significantly less disk space. MP3 files are often about one tenth the size of an uncompressed WAVE or AIFF file, which have the same audio quality as a CD. The small file size and high fidelity of MP3 files helped popularize digital music downloads in the late 1990s and early 2000s. ...

MPEG Definition Stands for "Moving Picture Experts Group." MPEG is an organization that develops standards for encoding digital audio and video. It works with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to ensure media compression standards are widely adopted and universally available. The MPEG organization has produced a number of digital media standards since its inception in 1998. Examples include: MPEG-1 – Audio/video s...

Animated GIF Definition An animated GIF is a GIF file that includes multiple images or "frames." These frames are played back in sequence when the file is opened or displayed in a web browser. The result is an animated clip or a short movie. The GIF file format includes a Graphics Control Extension (or "GCE block"), which enables a single GIF file to store multiple frames. This section also specifies the delay between frames, which can be used to set the frame rate or insert pauses at certain p...

PNG Definition PNG, which can be pronounced "ping" or "P-N-G," is a compressed raster graphic format. It is commonly used on the Web and is also a popular choice for application graphics. The PNG format was introduced in 1994, after the GIF and JPEG formats had already been around for several years. Therefore, PNG includes many of the benefits of both formats. For example, PNG images use lossless compression like GIF files, so they do not have any blurring or other artifacts that may appear in ...