JPG vs JPEG – Know The Difference Between JPG and JPEG

In this post, we’re going to discuss JPG vs JPEG! If you work with digital photos, chances are you have come across different image formats. 

When creating or saving an image from an editor, there is a wide variety of formats you can choose from. The most common format, which also looks very similar, are JPEG and JPG.

So what is the difference between JPG vs JPEG? Is there actually a difference between them? 

Fortunately, we will be answering all your questions about JPEG vs JPG in this guide. 

At the end of this guide, you will know what each image format is and their differences.

JPG vs JPEG Overview

JPG and JPEG are pretty much the same. They are a commonly used lossy compression method for digital images, especially pictures produced by digital photography. 

You can adjust the degree of compression of this image format, allowing you to choose a trade-off between image quality and storage size. 

This image format can achieve a compression ratio of 10:1 with a minimal decrease in the quality of the image.

JPEG was introduced back in 1992, and it has been the most used photo compression standard in the world since then. It is also the most used digital photo format.

What Is JPEG?

JPEG is short for Joint Photographic Experts Groups. It is the committee’s name that created the JPEG standard. 

Moreover, JPEG is a standard photo format for containing compressed and lossy image data. 

As a result, you can reduce the file size of a JPEG image, and it would still maintain most of its quality. 

Because of this attribute, JPEG images are used mainly on the internet, mobile devices, computers, and more. 

You can store many JPEG files in minimum storage space, and they are also quick, efficient to share.

The JPEG File Format

Chances are you have saved loads of images on your computer, but you might not have been paying attention to the format in which you are saving the images. 

The majority of images you download on the web are saved in JPEG format. When you edit a picture with any photo editing software such as Paint, the image is converted to JPEG.

The JPEG file format is all about the way you save your digital image. JPEG images support more than 16 million colors, and almost all digital cameras save their images in this format.

Who Is Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)?

The full meaning of JPEG is Joint Photographic Experts Group. The Joint Photographic Experts Group is the name of the committee that created the JPEG image standard. 

The International Organization for Standardization issued the JPEG format in 1992.

What Does JPEG Lossy Compression Mean?

As a website owner, the last thing you want is for your website hosting to take an awfully long time to load. 

When uploading images on your site, you will be trying to maintain your site’s speed and keep the quality of the image. 

If the size of the image is too large, it will take a long time to load, which will affect your users’ browsing experience. 

Fortunately, the JPEG Lossy Compression method is there to help you maintain the quality of your image while reducing its size. It makes the image load much faster online.  

What Is JPG?

As we said earlier, JPG and JPEG are the same. JPG refers to the JPEG file on your computer. 

This image format was used in the older versions of Windows when the OS only supports three-letter extensions. As such, this made it impossible to add the third letter “E” in the name of the file format. 

However, Microsoft later released newer versions of its OS that started accepting four letters in its file extensions. And this was when the missing “E” came back to the JPG file format to make it JPEG.

Nevertheless, this was not the case for Linux and macOS, as the operating systems support 4-letter file formats. So this means Linux and macOS users could still use JPEG rather than JPG. 

Window still allows you to save your image files in both JPG and JPEG formats.

JPEG vs JPG – Differences and Similarities

Ultimately, JPEG and JPG images are the same thing. However, there is only one difference between them. 

In this section, we will discuss the differences and similarities between both image formats.

JPG vs JPEG – Key Differences between JPG and JPEG

File Name: The major difference between the JPG and JPEG file format is in their names. One comes with one more letter than the other. The JPEG file format has the additional letter “E.” 

The definition of the JPG file format was designed when the Windows OS was accepting only three letters for its extensions. 

JPEG was only in existence because of older versions of Windows such as MS-DOS 8.3 and FAT-16 file systems. 

That is the only difference between both file formats.

JPEG vs JPG – Important Similarities between JPEG and JPG

Now, let’s look at some of the critical similarities between JPG and JPEG:

1. JPG and JPEG Are Both Raster Images

PC photos can be created as vector or raster images. Since JPG is a raster image, so is JPEG. 

A raster image is a bitmap image. Bitmap images are a grid of pixels that come together to form an image. JPG and JPEG images are not vector images.

2. JPEG and JPG Mean the Same Thing

As we discussed earlier, JPEG is short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, and JPG is just an abbreviation also. They are both abbreviations for the same ISO sub-committee. 

3. They Both Experience Quality Reduction When Saved

Since JPG and JPEG are the same, they will both lose some quality when you save them. 

With Lossy compression, they will both experience a slight reduction in quality as the file size reduces. 

4. They Are Both Used for the Same Type of Image

JPG and JPEG are both used for digital photography because they are both raster images. 

The beauty of a digital image comes out when it is saved as a raster JPG or JPEG image. 

JPG vs JPEG – How to Convert Image Files to JPEG and JPG?

As we said earlier, most images you download from the internet are already in JPEG format. Even photo editing software such as Paint and Photoshop convert your created images in JPEG format. 

However, if your image is not in JPEG or JPG format, there are several ways you can convert it. 

We will walk you through the simple steps of converting your image files to JPG or JPEG with The Paint tool.

• Open the image that you want to convert to JPG or JPEG on paint (this means the image must not be in any other format besides JPG or JPEG).
• After opening the file, click on the “File” tab at the top-left corner of the screen and click “Save As.”
• When you click “Save As,” you will see all the formats you can save the image as. Click on the JPEG format and save your image in the directory you want to save it.

Adobe Photoshop also allows you to save your images in JPEG format. To save your images as JPEG on Photoshop, after editing it, click on “Save As,” set the format to .jpg or .jpeg, and click save.

You can also choose from the serious of online image convert tools. Online Converter is a standard tool for this task, and you can use it to convert your image to JPG or JPEG with ease.

JPEG vs JPG: Why the “E”?

The “E” has always been there in this image format. The JPG format does not have the “E” because only three letters were accepted in the older versions of Windows. 

The “E” is just the difference between the JPG and JPEG image format. It does not mean anything significant. It was only removed from the JPEG format so that older versions of windows can accept the image file extension. 

Whether you use JPG or JPEG, they all mean the same thing.

JPG vs JPEG 2000 – Overview

On your quest to know more about JPEG and JPEG image formats, you might come across JPEG 2000 and wondered what it is. 

Here’s everything you need to know about JPEG 2000.

What Is JPEG 2000?

JPEG 2000 is an image encoding system, and the Joint Photographic Experts Group created it back in 2000. They designed it to deliver better results than the already existing JPEG standard. 

JPEG 2000 made it possible for people to optimize their photos and save them in JPEG format without reducing the quality of the image.

How Does JPEG 2000 Compare to JPG and JPEG?

JPEG 2000 is much better than the standard JPEG image format. JPEG 2000 uses a sophisticated encoding method that compresses an image file without affecting its quality. 

It can reduce the file size of a JPEG image without reducing the quality. JPG 2000 files also support a higher dynamic range, and the bit depth of the images does not have any limit.

Limitations of JPEG 2000

JPEG 2000 tends to better than the standard JPEG format because it offers many great features. 

However, it has some limitations, which is why it is not very popular today. Some of the limitations of the JPEG 2000 are:

• Many web browsers do not support it. The only browser that supports JPEG 2000 is Safari.
• JPEG 2000 files strain servers and slow site down because encoding them is CPU intensive.
• It is not compatible with JPEG
• Most cameras and websites do not accept the JPEG 2000 image format because it is not universally accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the frequently asked questions regarding JPG, JPEG, and JPEG 2000 image formats.

Conclusion

In general, JPEG vs JPG is the most common type of image file extension. They are widely used because they are light and consume less space. 

Moreover, this image format is also universally accepted. If you want your site to be super-fast, then you should consider using JPG or JPEG images.