JPEG File Definition

JPEG files, also known as .jpeg or .jpg, is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group. This file type is an industry standard compression format for most graphic and still image files. JPEG are extremely popular due to their extremely versatile image compression options. These images are saved on what is known as a sliding image compression scale, which means that you can save the file or image as ultra sharp and crisp, or you can dramatically scale down the file size, and save a low to medium quality image. Most photo editing software is particularly warm towards this file type, offering a one through ten save range for quality, allowing the user to drag an button to the desired image quality, which usually comes down to a fine balance between resolution and file size. As most graphic designers will tell you, JPEG is not a desired image format because despite the flexible resolution save model, the format bleeds compression, thus resulting in file degradation.