.bmp Windows bitmapped image. Used by Microsoft Windows applications. Good quality, large file size. Not for use on web.

.wmf Windows MetaFile. Useful for clipart, and can be used to make large area, small sized background files.

.pcx Older general purpose format. Practically obsolete now. Not for use on web.

.psp Internal format for Paint Shop Pro, useful if you want to swap files between these two applications.

.pcd Kodak PhotoCD format, used with Photo Developing - although most photo processors will save your photos as jpegs if you ask them to.

.pdf Portable Document File. Adobe's file system that allows electronic cross platform sharing of documents.

So what's best format for web graphics: gif or jpeg?

The general rule of thumb is to use gifs for diagrams, line drawings, illustrations, and images that contain large areas of flat colour, and jpegs for photographs and images with continuous colour tones. The jpeg format has a very good compression rate, but compression reduces quality of image, so it's best to experiment with tools in Image Ready until you have optimal quality/file size. The gif format, on other hand, has a smaller file size - but a limited range of colours.

6. Designing Web Banners and Buttons. Photoshop comes with a predefined web banner sized canvas. Photoshop's sister application, Image Ready, comes with several - and lots of tools for animating text and pictures. You can also create interactive buttons that enhance a web browsing experience.

7. Adding Text to Photographs. Impress your boss by putting company name on side of an airliner, building, or racing car. Use Move Tool to skew text to fit contours of picture, adjust opacity a little, and hey presto! The text will look like it's always been part of photo.

8. Combining Pictures, Text, and Graphics to Make Covers for Books, Reports and CDs. Photoshop contains many of image manipulation capabilities of high-end DTP applications that cost thousands. Use "Layer via Cut" command to make your title text go behind part of picture - just like on cover of "Rolling Stone."

9. Designing Web Pages. Did you know that Photoshop and Image Ready can turn your photograph or artwork into a web page? Use slice tool to cut your work into easily downloadable pieces, then rollover function to embed website URLs.

10. Combining Pictures to Make Impossible Possible. Come on! You didn't seriously think that Michael Moore and President George W. Bush really stood hand in hand on White House lawn for Fahrenheit 9/11 poster, did you? I don't know for certain that they used Photoshop to fake that picture, but they certainly could have done. With Photoshop you can remove background from one picture, take some elements from another, and combine them with background from a third to create a picture that could never have been taken for real. Who says camera can't lie!