2.3.3 File Format Recommendations
This page is a work in progress
Hyku is file format agnostic, meaning it can store and manage any type of file uploaded to the repository. However, enhanced functionality—such as in-browser display, thumbnail generation, and IIIF viewing—is only available for certain formats, including:
PDF / PDF/A
JPEG / TIFF
MP4 / MP3
And a small set of others
While you are free to upload any format that suits your content and use case, we encourage selecting sustainable file formats, especially for long-term access, preservation, and interoperability.
The guidelines below reflect best practices for sustainable digital stewardship and make note of formats that also benefit from Hyku’s native features.
General Principles
Choose file formats that are:
Open or non-proprietary
Uncompressed or losslessly compressed
Widely adopted and well-documented
Supported by Hyku for display, thumbnails, or IIIF, when applicable
Avoid:
Formats requiring niche or proprietary software to open
Heavily compressed or encrypted formats
Formats not intended for preservation or reuse
Recommended File Formats by Content Type
Text Documents
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Finalized text | PDF/A | ✅ Displays inline |
Editable documents | ODT | ⚠️ Stored but not rendered |
Plain text / code | TXT, XML, JSON | ⚠️ Stored only |
Images
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Archival images | TIFF (uncompressed) | ✅ Thumbnail support |
Web display | JPEG (high res) | ✅ Display and thumbnails |
Line art / drawings | SVG, PNG | ⚠️ Stored but not all render inline |
Audio
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Archival audio | WAV, FLAC | ⚠️ Stored but not streamed |
Streaming audio | MP3 | ✅ In-browser playback |
Video
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Archival video | FFV1 in MKV container | ⚠️ Stored only |
Web streaming | MP4 (H.264) | ✅ In-browser playback |
Spreadsheets & Tabular Data
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Structured data | CSV, TSV | ⚠️ Stored only |
Source sheets | XLSX (non-macro) | ⚠️ Stored only |
Presentations
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Slide decks | PDF/A | ✅ Display inline |
Source formats | ODP, PPTX | ⚠️ Stored only |
Datasets
Use Case | Preferred Format(s) | Hyku Support Notes |
|---|---|---|
Structured data | CSV, JSON, XML | ⚠️ Stored only |
Scientific data | NetCDF, HDF5 | ⚠️ Stored only |
Specialized or Complex Formats
For geospatial data, 3D models, or domain-specific formats:
Upload both open format versions (e.g., OBJ, GeoJSON) and documentation (e.g., README files).
Include descriptive metadata indicating software used, version, and dependencies.
Consider attaching screenshots or proxy representations as JPEGs or PDFs to support discoverability.
Tips for Depositors
Name files consistently and avoid special characters in filenames.
Use embedded metadata (e.g., EXIF for images, ID3 for MP3) where possible.
Bundle documentation with complex or software-dependent files.
Prefer uploading formats that support Hyku display for increased usability.