AVIF HDR Images 2026: Stunning 10-bit Photos 50% Smaller [Guide]

What is HDR Imaging?

High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging represents a fundamental shift in how we capture, store, and display visual content. While standard images are limited to representing a narrow range of brightness levels, HDR expands this range dramatically, capturing details in both the brightest highlights and darkest shadows.

Traditional SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) images typically represent about 6-10 stops of dynamic range, limited by the 8-bit color depth that stores only 256 levels per color channel. HDR images can capture 12-20+ stops of dynamic range, approaching what the human eye naturally perceives.

This expanded range isn't just about brightness—it enables more accurate color reproduction, smoother gradients, and the ability to represent colors that were previously impossible to display. Sunsets actually glow, neon signs pop with realistic intensity, and subtle shadow details become visible.

AVIF HDR Capabilities

AVIF is uniquely positioned as the premier format for HDR web content, offering capabilities unmatched by any other widely-supported image format.

• 10-bit and 12-bit Color: AVIF supports up to 12-bit color depth, providing 4,096 levels per channel compared to 8-bit's 256. This eliminates banding in gradients and enables true HDR representation.
• Wide Color Gamut: Full support for Display P3, Rec. 2020, and other wide color spaces that cover colors beyond sRGB's limited range.
• PQ and HLG Transfer Functions: AVIF supports both Perceptual Quantizer (PQ/SMPTE ST 2084) and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) for HDR tone mapping.
• Backward Compatibility: HDR AVIF images can include SDR fallback data, ensuring graceful degradation on non-HDR displays.
• Efficient Compression: Despite the increased color information, HDR AVIF files remain remarkably compact compared to other HDR formats.

Color Spaces and Gamuts

Understanding color spaces is essential for creating and displaying HDR content correctly.

Creating HDR AVIF Images

Creating effective HDR AVIF images requires proper workflow from capture to export.

Start with source material captured in RAW format or from HDR-capable cameras and displays. Modern smartphones like iPhone and Pixel devices capture HDR photos automatically, as do professional cameras shooting in RAW.

During editing, work in a wide color space like Display P3 or ProPhoto RGB. Apply tone mapping that takes advantage of the extended dynamic range without creating harsh transitions between bright and dark areas.

// Example: Creating HDR AVIF with libavif
avifImage *image = avifImageCreate(width, height, 10, AVIF_PIXEL_FORMAT_YUV444);
image->colorPrimaries = AVIF_COLOR_PRIMARIES_BT2020;
image->transferCharacteristics = AVIF_TRANSFER_CHARACTERISTICS_SMPTE2084; // PQ
image->matrixCoefficients = AVIF_MATRIX_COEFFICIENTS_BT2020_NCL;

Display Compatibility

HDR display support has grown significantly, but understanding the landscape helps ensure optimal presentation.

• HDR-capable Displays: Content displays with full HDR impact—bright highlights, vivid colors, deep blacks. Includes most OLED screens, premium monitors, and HDR TVs.
• Wide Gamut (non-HDR): Colors display accurately within Display P3 or similar gamut, but brightness is limited to SDR levels. Common on mid-range monitors.
• sRGB Displays: Content is tone-mapped to fit the limited gamut and dynamic range. Still looks good but loses HDR impact. Older monitors and budget devices.

Web Implementation

Implementing HDR AVIF on the web requires attention to both technical and practical considerations.

Modern browsers automatically handle HDR display when images are properly tagged with color space information. Chrome, Safari, and Firefox all support HDR AVIF rendering on compatible displays.

The key is including proper metadata in your AVIF files. Color primaries, transfer characteristics, and matrix coefficients must be set correctly for browsers to interpret and display HDR content accurately.