There are a lot of file types that are put to use in the modern workplace, all with their own importance. Let’s review what the different file extensions—the little series of letters after the file name—mean, and how they influence how you can use a given file.

Your Daily Documents

.DOCX / .DOC

If you’ve saved (or opened) any text in a word processor—be it Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or even Apple Pages—you’ve created this file type.

.PDF

This image file type—the Portable Document Format—is designed to be widely accessible and essentially unchangeable, ensuring that its formatting can be preserved. As such, it is commonly used to share final versions of documents that are not meant to be (or shouldn’t be) edited, like invoices, forms, and contracts. Most web browsers can open these, as can Adobe Acrobat Reader.

.XLSX / .XLS

This is the spreadsheet file type, consisting of rows and columns of data. As such, it is used by software like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets to track budgets, lists, and charts.

.PPTX / .PPT

Similarly, these files are slide decks for programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. They are how your presentations are preserved.

Image Files

.JPEG / .JPG

Suitable for all colorful and complex photos and images, this is the most common image format. Therefore, it only makes sense that it works with any browser, editor, or image viewing application you have.

.PNG

This image file format has a special feature: it allows for transparent backgrounds, making it ideal for any image that shouldn’t appear with a border around it, like a logo or icon. The same applications open these images as well.

Compressed Files

.ZIP

If you need to send a lot of files and folders efficiently, a .zip file will be key. These files are effectively convenient archives of the data you’re trying to transmit, compressed to be much smaller—and therefore, faster and easier to move. It’s also a lot easier to access this data, as modern computers are equipped to extract the files from the newly decompressed folder. Just double-click it to review the content, or right-click and select Extract All… to create a new folder with the files in it.

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