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Common Internet File Formats
The following is a list of common Internet file formats. It includes the file suffix(es), the MIME type, a description of file type, and information on how to manipulate the file.
Many of the file types listed in the table below can be
viewed directly by your web browser, while many more can be
handled from within your web browser using plug-ins. In
other cases, a "helper application" is needed to access
and/or manipulate the file.
Most of the multimedia file types listed below can be opened
with either QuickTime Player or PictureViewer.
|
Suffix |
|
|
|
|
.ai |
application/postscript |
Adobe Illustrator Postscript file (plain text file). |
Use Adobe Illustrator. Can be used in other apps. Photoshop, Quark, Pagemaker, etc. |
|
.aif, .aiff, .aifc |
audio/aiff |
Uncompressed sound format. AIFC is a Macintosh only format. |
Use QuickTime or Sound Player. |
|
.au |
audio/basic |
This is a common sound format on the World Wide Web. |
Use QuickTime or Sound Player to play it. |
|
.avi, .vfw |
video/avi |
Video for Windows, OpenDML. |
Use QuickTime to play it. |
|
.bin |
application/x-macbinary |
MacBinary II encoded file. Make sure to download as MacBinary or Binary. |
Use Stuffit Expander to return to a usable Macintosh file (if it is not already). |
|
.bmp |
image/x-bmp |
Windows bitmap file. |
Native to Windows. Use QuickTime plug-in to display. |
|
.dcr, .dir, .dxr |
application/x-director |
Shockwave Movie. |
Use Shockwave for Director plug-in. |
|
.dif, .dv |
video/x-dv |
DV digital video and audio |
Use QuickTime to play it. |
|
.doc |
application/msword |
DOS/Windows file. |
Use MS-Word (or other text application). |
|
.exe |
|
DOS/Windows program or a DOS/Windows self-extracting archive. |
Must be run on a PC (or a Macintosh with hardware- or software-based PC compatibility). |
|
.fpx |
image/vnd.fpx |
Flash Pix. |
Use QuickTime to display. |
|
.gif |
image/gif |
GIF (Graphical Interchange Format). A common graphics file format. |
Use QuickTime, your web browser, Graphic Converter, Photoshop, GIFConverter, JPEGView. |
|
.gz |
application/gzip |
.gz is the Gnu version of zip. Used on UNIX systems. |
Use Stuffit Expander to extract archives, or macgzip to view and extract archives. |
|
.html, .htm |
|
HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the code that web pages are formed with. A plain text file. |
Use your web browser or any text editor (like SimpleText or MS-Word). |
|
.hqx |
application/mac-binhex40 |
BinHex. Encodes a Macintosh file into 7-bit text so it can be transferred across the Internet. |
Use Stuffit Expander to decode the file and return it to its original state. |
|
.img |
|
Macintosh Disk Image. |
Use Disk Copy to mount the disk image on your Macintosh desktop. The mounted disk image will behave as a read-only disk. |
|
.jpeg, .jpg, .jpe, .jfif |
image/jpeg |
JPEG/JFIF, a 24 bit graphic format. |
View with QuickTime, your web browser, or a graphics viewer such as JPEGView. Edit with Photoshop. |
|
.mid, .midi, .smf, .kar |
audio/midi |
MIDI music, karaoke files. |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
.mpeg, .mpg, .m1v, .mpm, .mpv |
video/mpeg |
An MPEG-1 video movie. |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
.mp2, .mpa, .m1a, .m1s |
video/mpeg |
An MPEG-1 audio layers I and II |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
.mp3 |
audio/mpeg |
MPEG-1 audio layer III compressed audio. |
Use QuickTime Player or a third-party player. |
|
.m3u |
audio/mpegurl |
MP3 playlist. |
Use QuickTime Player or a third-party player. |
|
.moov, .mov, .qt, .movie |
video/quicktime |
QuickTime movie. |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
|
application/pdf |
Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format. |
Use Adobe Acrobat Reader or PDF Viewer plug-in. |
|
.png |
image/png, |
Portabe Network Graphics, simular to GIF but unencumbered by patent image. |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
.pntg, .pnt |
image/x-macpaint |
MacPaint image. |
Use QuickTime Player. |
|
.ps, .eps |
application/postscript |
Postscript file (plain text file), Encapsulated Postscript file. |
Send to a PostScript printer with the LaserWriter Font Utility or view it onscreen using Ghostscript. Some files can be used in other apps. Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, Pagemaker, etc. |
|
.psd |
image/x-photoshop |
Adobe PhotoShop Document Format. |
View with QuickTime plug-in, edit with Adobe PhotoShop. |
|
.ra, .ram, .rpm |
audio/x-pn-realaudio |
RealNetworks audio or video |
Use RealPlayer. |
|
.rtf |
application/rtf |
Rich Text Format. Used to transfer word processing documents between dissimilar systems. |
Download and use MS-Word, WordPerfect, or other compatible word processor. |
|
.rtsp, .rts |
application/x-rtsp |
Real Time Streaming Protocol. |
Use QuickTime plug-in. |
|
.scr |
|
Macintosh Disk Copy Script. |
Use Apple's Disk Copy utility. |
|
.sea |
|
Macintosh self-extracting archive. |
Download it and launch it. |
|
.sgi, .rgb |
image/x-sgi |
Silicon Graphics image file. |
Use Quicktime to display. |
|
.sit |
application/x-stuffit |
Stuffit Archive - Binary. |
Download as MacBinary, and use Stuffit Expander. |
|
.smi |
|
A Macintosh self-mounting image, created by Disk Copy. |
Similar to .img, but does not require the use of Disk Copy. Download the .smi file and open it. A disk image will appear on your desktop. |
|
.spl |
application/futuresplash |
FutureSplash Player animation file. |
View with Shockwave Flash plug-in. Edit with Shockwave. |
|
.swf |
application/x-shockwave-flash |
Shockwave Flash animation file. |
View with Shockwave Flash plug-in. Edit with Shockwave. |
|
.tar |
application/x-tar |
UNIX tar program takes separate files and turns them into a single file. Extensions such as .tar.Z, .tar.gz and .tgz (latter two are equivalent) require decompression first, then un-tar. |
Extract with Stuffit Expander, or use Tar. |
|
.tga |
image/x-targa |
Targa image file. |
Use Quicktime to display. |
|
.tiff, .tif |
image/tiff |
image format. |
Use QuickTime Player, JPEGView, or GraphicConverter. Edit with Photoshop. |
|
.txt |
text/plain |
A plain text file. |
Use your web browser, or any text editor such as SimpleText or MS-Word. |
|
.uu, .uue |
|
A uuencoded file. |
Use Stuffit Deluxe, UU Undo, or UUunencode to decode it. |
|
.wav |
audio/x-wav |
Windows Wave format sound. |
Use QuickTime Player, Live Audio or Sound Machine. |
|
.xls |
application/vnd.ms-excel |
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file. |
Use MS-Excel. |
|
.Z |
application/zip |
UNIX Compressed File. |
If you are downloading via ftp, most ftp servers will expand for you if you drop the ".Z". Otherwise, use Stuffit Expander with Expander Enhancer. |
|
.zip |
application/zip |
pkzip, a common DOS/Windows compression format. |
Use ZipIt, Stuffit Expander with Expander Enhancer, or MacUnZip on a Mac. From Windows use Stuffit Expander, WinZip or pkunzip. |
Note: Apple no longer posts software in binhex format.
MIME: Short for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, a specification for formatting non-ASCII messages so that they can be sent over the Internet.
