What is JPEG format, its features, pros and cons

JPEG (from the English Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a digital image compression standard that was created in 1986 by a group of image experts within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The JPEG format is one of the most popular formats for storing and sharing digital photographs and other images. This is because JPEG files are small in size, allowing them to be transferred over the Internet quickly and without high bandwidth costs.

The JPEG compression process is based on the idea of removing information that does not greatly affect the visual perception of the image. To do this, JPEG uses a lossy compression algorithm that removes some of the image data but retains the remaining information through approximation.

In other words, the JPEG format preserves important image details that are perceived by the human eye, and removes small details that do not affect the quality of the image as a whole. This allows you to compress images up to 10 times without significant loss of quality.

JPEG files can be opened and viewed on most devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, and other devices. Most image processing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and others also support the JPEG format.

However, although the JPEG format is very popular, it is not ideal for all types of images. For example, if an image contains text or spiky objects, when compressed in JPEG format, they may lose their clarity and become unreadable. In such cases, it may be better to use other image formats such as PNG or TIFF.

In general, the JPEG format is an important standard for storing and exchanging digital images. It allows you to compress images without significant loss of quality and is supported by most devices and image processing programs.

The JPEG format is one of the most popular image formats and can be opened on most devices that support images.

On computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux, JPEG images can be opened using built-in image viewers such as Photos on Windows 10 or Preview on macOS. In addition, specialized image processing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.NET, and others can be used on computers.

JPEG images can also be opened on smartphones and tablets using photo viewing applications such as Gallery on Android devices or Photos on iOS devices.

Digital cameras and other devices that are used to create JPEG images can also open and view these images.

It is also worth noting that most browsers support opening JPEG images directly in the browser window. To do this, simply click on the image file and select "Open with browser".

As such, the JPEG format is supported on many devices and can be opened with various imaging programs and applications.

The choice between PNG and JPEG format depends on the purpose of using the image and the conditions in which it will be viewed. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages, and for certain situations one format may be more appropriate than the other.

The JPEG format is commonly used for photographs because it supports lossy compression, which allows you to reduce the file size without degrading the image quality too much. It is well suited for images with lots of detail and shading, where image quality is not as important as file size. JPEG also supports saving lower quality images, which can be useful for web pages and other digital media formats.

However, the JPEG format is not suitable for images with transparent backgrounds or logos, as image quality can be significantly degraded when the image is compressed, and noise and artifacts may appear in the background. Also, JPEG does not support saving images with an alpha channel, which allows you to create transparency in images.

In turn, the PNG format supports saving images with a transparent background and an alpha channel, making it ideal for logos and other images where transparency is important. PNG is also used for high quality images, as it supports lossless compression, which maintains image quality even when the file size is reduced.

However, PNG has a larger file size than JPEG, which can slow down web page loading speeds and increase network bandwidth usage. In addition, PNG may not be supported by some browsers and devices, which may result in the image not displaying correctly.

So, the choice between PNG and JPEG format depends on the purpose of using the image. If you are using an image with a lot of detail and hue, and file size is more important than quality, JPEG is the better choice. If transparency and maintaining high image quality are important, then the PNG format will be more suitable.