JPEG File Documentation

Files with the JPEG extension, i.e. Joint Photographic Expert Group, are images saved in a compressed graphic format. JPEG files are used to store digital photos or photos saved using a lossy compression algorithm.

Files with the JPEG extension support a maximum of 24-bit color. Due to the use of a lossy compression algorithm, the quality of photos contained in JPEG files is quite low.

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .jpg, .jpeg
Developed By Joint Photographic Experts Group
Initial Release 1992
Standardization Body ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1
Color Space Primarily YCbCr, also supports RGB and grayscale
Bit Depth 8 bits per channel (24-bit for full-color images)
Compression Type Lossy (also supports lossless methods)
Compression Techniques Huffman Coding, Quantization
Maximum Image Size 65535×65535 pixels
Support for Metadata Yes (Exif, IPTC, XMP)
Common Usage Photography, Web Images, Digital Art
Supported by Almost all web browsers, image editors, and operating systems
Pros High compression with minimal quality loss, widespread support
Cons Lossy compression not suitable for all types of images, no alpha channel for transparency