What is an ART file?
An ART file is a compressed bitmap image file created and used by America Online (AOL) service and client software. It was built to reduce the image size for quick downloading over the internet. The compression algorithm applied on image to generate .art files is similar to the JPEG format, but at times reduces the image quality while favouring the reduction of file size. ART files can be opened using the AOL File Viewer.
ART File Format
ART file format uses compression for easy transfer on the internet and sharing among AOL users. It has been used for image presentation in the online service using client’s web browser. The reduced size of ART files facilitates faster downloads even on slower internet connections in the early days.
