Image MIME Reference
FreeHand
Macromedia FreeHand Document
image/x-freehand
VS
JPEG Image
image/jpeg
JPEG
A complete technical comparison of Macromedia FreeHand Document and JPEG Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
JPEG wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | FreeHand | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | Yes |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | Yes |
Macromedia FreeHand Document
image/x-freehand
Extension
.fh.fh4.fh5.fh7.fh8.fh9.fh10.fh11.ft11
Container
Proprietary Binary (Aldus Graphic Document)
Compression
Uncompressed / Deflate (in later versions)
Algorithm
NoneDeflate (Optional in later versions)
Color Depth
Vector Data (RGB/CMYK)
Developed by
Altsys / Aldus / Macromedia
Released
1988
Magic Bytes
41 47 44 31 to 41 47 44 34
JPEG Image
image/jpeg
Extension
.jpg.jpeg.jpe.jfif
Container
JFIF / Exif
Compression
Lossy
Algorithm
DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform)
Color Depth
8-bit
Developed by
Joint Photographic Experts Group
Released
1992
Magic Bytes
FF D8 FF
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | FreeHand | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Firefox
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Safari
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Edge
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ |
✓
|
FreeHand
FreeHand Strengths
- Historically one of the most powerful and intuitive vector editors on the market, praised for multi-page support long before Adobe Illustrator implemented it
- Files are generally compact and self-contained
Limitations
- Completely abandoned proprietary format; Adobe actively blocked native import in modern versions of Illustrator
- No support in modern web browsers; must be converted to SVG
- Versioning fragmentation means parsers must account for wildly different binary structures depending on the specific .fhX extension used
JPEG
JPEG Strengths
- Universal support — every browser, OS, and application handles JPEG
- Excellent compression for complex photographs with natural color gradients
- Rich metadata support: EXIF (GPS, camera settings), ICC color profiles
Limitations
- No transparency — cannot have a transparent background
- Lossy compression introduces visible artifacts on sharp edges and text
- No animation support
When to choose which format
FreeHand
Use FreeHand when…
- Legacy Graphic Design Portfolios
- Historical Desktop Publishing Archival
- Old Corporate Logo Vectors
JPEG
Use JPEG when…
- Photography
- Websites
- Social Media