What is the difference between jpg and jpeg in images?
Just as other digital files such as video and music have different formats, image files also have multiple formats, each with its own distinct characteristics. You may notice when browsing photos on your phone or computer that some of them come in JPG format and others in JPEG format. There may seem to be a difference between them, so you may ask yourself what is the difference between jpg and jpeg? This question may seem simple, but the answer to it requires a bit of elaboration. There are many sources that mention the difference between jpg and jpeg, but in a superficial way, so in the following lines we will learn in detail about the difference between jpg and jpeg.
In our daily life, we come across many terms that we may not know the details of, such as the popular image file names JPG and JPEG. If you use a computer or phone, you have probably noticed these two image extensions, but the most important question is, is the difference between jpg and jpeg important? And what is the difference between jpg and jpeg in the first place?
Difference between jpg and jpeg in images
Technically the difference between jpg and jpeg is not a real thing, they both refer to the same digital image format and are used as equivalent extensions to each other, the story goes back to an earlier time when the JPEG format was developed in 1992 by a group of photography experts called the Joint Photographic Experts Group, who shortened its name to JPEG, at that time major operating systems like MS-DOS only supported three-letter file extensions, so the 'E' was removed from JPEG to become JPG to comply with this limitation.
In fact, JPG was the format used in MS-DOS and Windows operating systems in their early days, while JPEG was used in Apple Macintosh systems that did not impose restrictions on the number of characters in the extension. Over time and the development of operating systems, both extensions became usable on all systems, and there is no longer any distinction between them in use at the present time.
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Since the difference between jpg and jpeg is not technical and both formats are used for the same image format, there is no need to do any conversion between them as you can simply change the extension from JPEG to JPG or vice versa by renaming the file, for example if you have an image file named “Bat.jpeg” and you want to change it to “Bat.jpg” you can use the rename feature in your operating system. Just edit the file name and remove the letter “E” from the extension.
Convert between jpg and jpeg
If you need to change the extension of a large number of files at a time, you can easily complete this process on Windows. Just select the files you want to modify, then right-click and choose “Rename” from the menu. But before that, make sure to show the file extensions by going to File Explorer, then clicking on “View” and placing a check mark next to “File name extensions.” As for Mac devices, you can use the “Rename items” option available in the menu bar to easily change the file extension.
Renaming files to change the extension between JPG and JPEG does not affect the image quality or any of its technical characteristics. The files will still contain the same data and information with the same quality as well, because the underlying format is the same. This feature is especially useful when dealing with software or platforms that may prefer one extension over the other. For example, some tools or applications may be programmed to read only JPEG files. In this case, the problem can be easily solved by changing the extension to JPG without having to use complex conversion programs .
An additional aspect to note is that this flexibility in simple renaming and conversion reflects the general trend towards compatibility in the world of computing, where software companies and developers are keen to make things easier for users and avoid unnecessary technical complexity. Therefore, the ability to switch between JPG and JPEG enhances the user experience and helps simplify the management of digital files, making them suitable for both personal and professional use.
In addition, it is worth noting that the difference between jpg and jpeg does not affect the file size or storage efficiency, as these files rely on the same compression algorithm that allows images to be stored in high quality while significantly reducing their size. This compression contributes to saving storage space and speeding up uploading and downloading processes on the Internet, so whether the extension is JPG or JPEG, you can expect the same level of performance in terms of image quality and file size, making them a preferred choice for storing and sharing images across different platforms and devices.