When is JPG better than EPS?
JPEG images are smaller and load faster on websites, lowering bandwidth costs, while EPS images consume more bytes and increase image loading times.
As such, the JPG image format is perfect for generating smaller web images, such as logos and photographs, with superior user experience and higher web responsiveness.
When is EPS better than JPG?
EPS images can be scaled up or down, resulting in high-resolution and high-quality images. In contrast, JPG images lose image quality and become indistinct with upward or downward scaling. As such, EPS images are better when creating illustrations, billboards, and initial logo designs in various sizes.
The benefits of EPS images are that they can be easily embedded in different documents, including PDFs, Word Documents, and InDesign layouts. They are widely supported by other applications, platforms, and software.
EPS versus JPG Table Comparison
| Aspect/Factor | EPS | JPG |
| Transparency | Does not support transparency. | Does not support transparency |
| File Size | Larger file sizes than JPG files. | Smaller than EPS files. |
| Image Quality | High-quality images than JPG images. | Relatively low image quality than EPS images. |
| Performance | Increase web responsiveness than JPG. | Decrease web performance than EPS. |
| Structure | A vector graphics: Starts with a header and ends with an end-of-file marker. | Raster graphics: Starts with a binary value '0xFFD8' and ends with a binary value '0xFFD9'. |
| Animation | Does not support animation. | Does not support animation. |
| Storage | Necessitates more storage space than JPG files. | Necessitates less storage space than EPS. |
| Compression | Supports lossless PackBits/ZIP compression. | Uses lossy compression |
| Browser Support | Limited browser support. | Widely by almost all web browsers. |
Differences and similarities between JPG and EPS images
When doing an EPS versus JPG, you will learn that they have similarities in transparency and animation support but significantly differ in file size, compression method, storage requirements, structure, image quality, web performance, and browser support.
Transparency
JPG and EPS image formats do not support transparency. For instance, JPG does not allow transparent backgrounds to be incorporated in JPG images. The non-rectangular graphics with many texts hardly work well in JPG file format. It cannot merge perfectly with websites with many background colors.
Conversely, EPS has no integral ability to support transparent backgrounds or alpha channels. The EPS file relies on its textual form, which uses the PostScript programming language.
File Size
Lossless EPS files have more details, making them larger than JPG files, especially when EPS stores raster and vector data. An EPS file is one page long with a size limit of 0.5 MB and 10 MB. Nonetheless, EPS stores can store multiple files, each with a size limit between 0.5 and 10MB, making them relatively larger than JPGs.
A JPG's maximum image size is 65,535 x 65,535 pixels, which equals four gigapixels. Finally, while JPG cannot be scaled up or down to increase or decrease file size, an EPS file can be scaled to fit any screen size. Hence, choose JPG instead of EPS for smaller files that load faster online.
Image Quality
EPS is a high-resolution file format, while JPG is a high- and low-image resolution format. Both formats support 8-bit for each RGB. However, EPS files or images contain bitmap data and retain individual coding on color and size. EPS image data is preserved to ensure high-resolution levels regardless of scale.
On the other hand, JPG images are similarly high-quality but lose image quality or resolution levels with downward or upward scaling since they are pixel-based. As such, JPGs become grainy or indistinct with excessive scaling. Unlike JPG, EPS supports CMYK, Grayscale, and RGBA color profiles.
Performance
EPS files are less flexible than JPG files in terms of web responsiveness or image loading times. Often, the compressed EPS files are larger than lossy JPG files. Thus, JPG images download and upload faster than EPS images, making EPS unsuitable for web use as they lower user experience.
Similarly, JPG images require less bandwidth and consume fewer bytes than EPS files. As a result, choose the JPG format over EPS for high web responsiveness, better user experience, and wider browser, application, or software compatibility and support. EPS is most compatible with Apple Products.
Structure
JPG is a raster-based file format. It has several sections, starting with a marker and containing various binary OxFFXX data. The first marker has a binary value of 'OxFFD8' and ends with 'OxFFD9'. The makers designate the time of the JPG data or information.
In contrast, EPS is primarily a vector graphics file type that comprises mathematical equations that define the image colors, lines, and shapes. Such graphics comprise curves and lines rather than pixels, distinguishing them from other raster file formats.
An EPS file extension structure has a file header, PostScript Program, encapsulated image data, and an end-of-file marker. The header contains primary information about the file, including the resolution level, the bounding image box, and its version number.
Animation
EPS and JPG image file formats do not have inherent support for animation. Both file formats were designed to support still images or content and have no multimedia or live content capabilities to support animated images or animations.
Storage
JPG stores lossy compressed image information, while EPS stores lossless, PackBits, or ZIP compressed data. However, EPS files or image data include vector texts, lines, graphics, and other document elements in multiple files, whereas JPG stores individually compressed image data.
When multiple EPS files are stored together, they become larger, need more storage space, consume more bytes, and incur additional bandwidth costs than JPG files. Nevertheless, JPG and EPS can be stored forever when appropriately handled, subjected to good storage conditions, and using the correct storage mediums.
EPS and JPG files can be stored indefinitely on Floppy Drives, Hard Drives, Base64 Encoding, File Systems, Content Delivery Networks, and the Cloud, among other places.
Compression
EPS supports lossless PackBits and ZIP compression, while JPG uses lossy compression. JPG's lossy compression reduces file size by deleting specific image data. It assumes block-based compression, where subsampling color data reduces the original file data.
JPG efficient lossy compression reorders image size using Huffman Coding and Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients algorithms. In contrast, EPS lossless and PackBits/ZIP using LZW algorithms decrease file sizes while preserving all image data, leading to smaller and higher-quality images.
Nevertheless, although EPS files use LZW compression algorithms to minimize their file size, they are relatively larger than JPG files. For instance, PackBits/ZIP file compression rate minimizes EPS files by 10% to 20%. Sometimes, the compression rate becomes zero for non-photographic files.
Browser Support
While EPS was created and launched before JPG, both image formats competed in different digital image domains. Nonetheless, JPG overtook EPS in terms of browser support and compatibility. For instance, JPG enjoys more universal browser support than EPS.
Almost all old and new web browsers support JPG files and images, such as Opera, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Vivaldi, Edge, Discord, Internet Explorer, and Brave, but Internet Explorer 6 does not. In contrast, Opera, Discord, Brave, Edge, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Internet Explorer do not support EPS.
The only web browser that supports EPS is Google Chrome. However, this browser requires additional file support extensions or plug-ins, such as the PostScript Viewer and Compiler extensions, for users to easily preview or view EPS files.
Convert JPG to EPS or EPS to JPG
Easily convert JPG to EPS using convertjack. EPS is deemed the best file type because its images are scalable and high-quality, and they retain high image resolutions when scaled up or down to attain varying screen sizes.
Convertjack is an automatic EPS to JPG converter that generates user-friendly and customer-tailored documents. JPG images are preferred to EPS because they are smaller, web-efficient, and high-quality, optimizing search engines and enhancing user experience.