JPG vs JPEG: Key Differences

What is JPG?

JPG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, it is a commonly used file extension for digital images. JPG format is a shorthand version of the JPEG file format and is widely recognized by various operating systems and software applications. The JPG extension is primarily used for convenience and to maintain compatibility with older systems, this is because the older systems do not recognize the longer JPEG extension. However, it’s important to note that JPG is not an official abbreviation or file extension approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)....

What is JPEG?

JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, it is the full name of the image file format that is commonly associated with the JPG extension. JPEG is an industry standard file format for storing and transmitting digital images, developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG as a file format was a collaborative effort between various organizations and companies....

JPG vs JPEG: Key Differences

JPG JPEG Definition JPG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, it is a commonly used file extension for digital images. JPG is a shortened version of the JPEG file extension, it is often used for convenience and compatibility with older systems. JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, it is the full name of the image file format that is commonly associated with the JPG extension. JPEG is an industry standard file format for storing and transmitting digital images, developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. Metadata JPG file format do not come with any support to store additional metadata unlike JPEG file format. JPEG files can store additional metadata, such as EXIF data from digital cameras Compatibility with older systems JPG and JPEG are quite similar file formats, in fact JPEG was invented before JPG in 1992 but the older Windows systems that used to be in market that time could only use 3 letter extensions as file formats (for example – .png), therefore the original JPEG extension was not compatible for those systems and hence JPG was created to address this. Some older systems or applications may not recognize JPEG as a file format leading to potential compatibility issues. Professional use cases JPG files are also widely used in professional imaging applications but they are sometimes neglected due to no support for additional metadata. JPEG files may be preferred in professional imaging applications due to their support for additional metadata and advanced compression options. Image resolution JPG file format can store images at various resolutions, including high resolutions used in print media and lower resolutions suitable for web design. JPEG file format also can store images at various resolutions which includes high resolutions used in print media and lower resolutions used in web design. Encoding A JPG file is encoded using Huffman coding or arithmetic coding which then results in a compressed JPG file. A JPEG file is also encoded using Huffman coding or arithmetic coding which then results in a compressed JPEG file. Compression JPG has relatively lesser advanced compression options. JPEG file format due to its additional metadata has more advanced compression options....

Conclusion

JPG and JPEG are quite similar file formats, in fact JPEG was invented before JPG in 1992 but the older Windows systems that used to be in market that time could only use 3 letter extensions as file formats (for example – .png), therefore the original JPEG extension was not compatible for those systems and hence JPG was created to address this. JPG and JPEG file formats are both crucial for optimizing image quality, file size, and compatibility across various platforms and applications. While these terms are often used interchangeably, we hope that this article helped you understand the differences between them....