JPEG (or JPG) is one of the oldest and most common photo formats. It uses lossy compression, which means it removes some image data to keep file sizes small. The more you compress a JPEG, the more detail you lose — but even moderate compression looks great for most everyday photos.
Why JPEG Is Still Popular
- Supported by every browser, editor, phone, and device
- Small file sizes, fast loading, and easy to share
- Perfect for casual use, social media, and emailing
Downsides of JPEG
- Compression can create artifacts (blocky or blurry edges)
- Doesn’t support transparency
- Not ideal for editing — repeated saves degrade quality
When to Use JPEG
- Sharing or posting online
- Printing standard-quality photos
- When file size is more important than perfect fidelity
Tips
- Use the highest quality setting when exporting JPEGs for print
- Avoid saving over the same JPEG multiple times — save a backup first
- Use RAW for editing, then export to JPEG when you’re ready to share