JPG vs JPEG: What's the Difference?

The History Behind JPG vs JPEG

The JPEG format was created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group in 1992. The original file extension was ".jpeg" with five characters. However, early versions of Windows (MS-DOS and Windows 3.1) only supported three-character file extensions, so ".jpeg" was shortened to ".jpg".

Technical Details

Both JPG and JPEG files:

• Use the same compression algorithm
• Support 24-bit color (16.7 million colors)
• Use lossy compression to reduce file size
• Are ideal for photographs and complex images
• Don't support transparency

Which Extension Should You Use?

The choice between .jpg and .jpeg is purely a matter of preference:

• .jpg is more common and widely recognized
• .jpeg is the original and technically correct extension
• Both work identically in all modern systems
• Most websites and applications accept both formats

Common Misconceptions

When to Use JPEG/JPG Format

JPEG format is best for:

• Photographs with many colors and gradients
• Images where file size is important
• Web images that need to load quickly
• Digital camera photos
• Social media images

When NOT to Use JPEG/JPG

Avoid JPEG for:

• Images with transparency (use PNG instead)
• Simple graphics with few colors (use PNG or GIF)
• Images that will be edited multiple times
• Screenshots with text (use PNG for better clarity)