[File Formats] What Is JPEG File and Things You Should Know About JPEG

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Dany updated on Jul 20, 2023 to Knowledge Center | How-to Articles

The JPEG format is the standard for everyday picture file storage and display and is present on all online browsers and smartphones. Learn more about the development of JPEG images.

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What Is JPEG File

JPEG is the most widely used image format for digital photos and graphics worldwide. A JPEG employs the lossy compression technique. As the early internet required smaller file sizes to permit quicker transmission speeds, most images are stored and transmitted in this format, often with a .jpg or .jpeg file extension.

The output image is a compromise between storage space and image quality due to compression. Users can change the compression setting to reduce storage size while maintaining the desired quality level. If 10:1 compression is used on the image, the image quality is barely impacted. However, the quality of the photos degrades more quickly with a higher compression value.

JPEG File Format

There are two JPEG variations that you may perhaps be familiar with.

  • The JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format) is an image file format based on JPEG. Digital cameras frequently employ JFIF files, which can be compressed to have significantly smaller file sizes than other image files, which explains why.
  • The EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) specification describes a JPEG-based file format for photos, audio, and video. JPEG photos contain EXIF data, which is embedded and provides information about the camera used to take the picture and GPS position information that can be used to identify the photo's origin.

How to Open JPEG File

You need a program that supports JPEGs to open a JPEG file on either a Mac or Windows operating system. Most online browsers, photo editing software, and image readers like Adobe Photoshop and Preview support JPEGs.

1. On Windows Web Browser

You can typically open a picture in a new tab if you wish to view it separately after finding it on a web page.

  • On a computer, right-click the image
  • Choose Open Image in New Tab or a similar option

2. On Mac Web Browser

You'll get the same option for opening an image in a new tab whether you're using Safari or another browser on a Mac.

  • Holding down the Command key to bring up a menu
  • Click on the image
  • Choose Open Image in New Tab

How to Repair Corrupted JPEG Files

JPEG is the most popular picture format used by digital cameras and other photographic image capture equipment. It is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital photographs. Unfortunately, many users frequently experience JPEG and JPG file corruption, making the data inaccessible. There are 2 ways you can follow to repair the corrupted JPEG files.

Method 1. Recover Corrupted JPEG Files from the Backup (for Windows)

The quickest technique to fix images when JPEG files are corrupted is to restore from a backup. Regularly backing up crucial files might simplify restoringdeleted file recovery in your business or personal life.

For Windows -

Step 1. Launch File History and select the "Restore personal files" tab from the menu on the left.

Step 2. You may review the various versions of each file backed up in the file history pane. Just click on a specific file to view it.

Step 3. Click the "Restore" button at the bottom of the window to restore a file. The file will then be put back where it came from.

You can restore your corrupted JPEG files from the Mac Time machine backup if you are a Mac user.

Method 2. Repair Corrupted JPEG Files with a JPEG Repair Tool

You still have a chance to fix corrupted JPEG files with a reputable JPEG repair program if the techniques above cannot help you achieve JPEG repair. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a reliable tool for repairing and restoring lost or already damaged JPEG and JPG files in all file corruption cases. It works with both Windows and Mac.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. Start the EaseUS data recovery program. And click "Scan" after selecting the hard drive that contains the corrupt photo files.

Step 2. Choose "Pictures" to locate your damaged photos, which may be in various file types, including JPEG, JPG, and more. Instead, click "Search files or folders" in the top right corner to search for files.

Step 3. To preview and fix a damaged image, double-click on it. After that, click "Recover" to store the photographs somewhere else.

If the method above is helpful to repair the corrupted JPEG files, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms!

 

JPG vs. JPEG: the Most Common Image File Formats

There is no distinction between.jpeg and.jpg other than the number of characters. The previous Windows operating systems are responsible for the word JPG's existence. In particular, unlike UNIX-type operating systems like Mac or Linux, the MS-DOS 8.3 and FAT-16 file systems had a maximum 3-letter constraint regarding filing names.

Images saved as JPEGs on Mac or Linux systems had the.jpeg file extension. But, to stay under the 3-letter limit when storing the same kinds of photographs using Windows, the file extension had to be trimmed to.jpg. Currently, 3- or 4-letter file extensions like.jpeg or.jpg are supported by Windows operating systems.

In Conclusion

Original photographs are best kept in higher fidelity formats, and for significant images, an uncompressed format should be considered since it gives the most flexibility for future use.