When is JPG better than JFIF?
JPG images are popular for web use because they can be compressed to smaller sizes, improving web responsiveness. The JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format) is a standard for JPEG images, and most JPG files are based on this format, so there is no significant difference in size or load time between JPG and JFIF files. Hence, the JPEG file extension is ideal for creating many digital photos of the color profile.
When is JFIF better than JPG?
JFIF images are high-quality and more structured, with markers offering extra image data, including color space and resolution. In contrast, JPG images are less structured and lose image quality through lossy compression.
The benefits of JFIF images include additional information that provides more data about images, standardized structure, and markers, making it easier for most systems and devices to interpret and display image data constantly and relatively supported by various systems, platforms, and applications.
JFIF versus JPG Table Comparison
| Aspect/Factor | JFIF | JPG |
| Transparency | Does not support transparency | Does not support transparency |
| File Size | Larger than JPG files. | Smaller files than JFIF files. |
| Image Quality | Better image quality images than JPG. | Lower-quality images than JFIF images. |
| Performance | Slightly lower web performance than JPG. | Loads faster online than JFIFs. |
| Structure | Raster-based: Starts with a JFIF-compliant file and ends with the JFIF marker data characters. | Raster–based, starts with a binary value '0xFFD8' and ends with '0xFFD9'. |
| Animation | Does not support animation | Does not support animation |
| Storage | Requires more storage space than JPG | Requires less storage space than JFIF. |
| Compression | Uses lossy, lossless, and PackBits/ZIP compression | Supports lossy compression |
| Browser Support | Limited browser support compared to JPG. | Supported by nearly all browsers than JFIF. |
Differences and similarities between JPG and JFIF images
JPG and JFIF formats are identical in lossy compression, transparency, and animation support. The analysis of JPG versus JFIF, differ in image quality, structure, browser support, performance, file size, and storage.
Transparency
JPG and JFIF file extensions do not support transparency or alpha channels. Nevertheless, JFIF’s structure is transparent, even though JPEG coding may depend on the algorithms used and the tools needed to read its file structure. JFIF’s transparent images necessitate refined tools or software to build.
Similarly, the JPG file extension has no room for the alpha channel as it only supports 24 bits, with eight bits in each RGB color channel. Therefore, when an image is saved as a JPG, the existing transparent segments are replaced with the background color - it hardly allows transparent backgrounds to be added to images.
File Size
JFIF files and JPG files generally have similar sizes, as both use the JPEG compression format. Both formats can support a maximum file size of 65,535×65,535 pixels, or 4 gigapixels. JFIF files include additional metadata structures and markers, providing extra information about the image, such as color space and resolution, to ensure correct display and manipulation across different systems.
While JPG files use lossy compression to reduce file size by discarding some image data, leading to quality loss, JFIF files also typically use lossy compression. Both formats are designed to balance image quality and file size, but neither format inherently uses lossless compression techniques like ZIP or PackBits. JPEG 2000 is an example of a JPEG format that supports lossless compression.
Image Quality
JPG and JFIF are both high-quality formats that support 24-bit images, with eight bits in every RGB color channel profile. JFIF is compatible with different image formats and supports CMYK and YCbCr, among other color spaces. JFIF offers resolution or aspect ratio data using a segment extension to JPG.
Both formats store metadata and resolution, enabling them to offer high- and low-resolution levels. JFIF files have similar potential for metadata as JPEG files, including EXIF data, but they also incorporate more markers and structures than JPG.
Performance
JPG uses efficient lossy compression techniques to significantly reduce its file sizes. JFIF is a standard for storing JPEG-compressed images and uses the same lossy JPEG compression techniques as JPG. Both formats do not typically use lossless JPEG, PackBits, or ZIP compression. JPG is commonly used for web optimization because of its small size and popularity as compared to JFIF.
Structure
JPG and JFIF image file formats are raster graphics. However, the additional markers and structures in JFIF files make both formats interesting to compare. JFIF data comprises byte streams, usually storing 16-bit word values in big-endian Format.
A JFIF-compliant file has a JFIF APP0 (Application) marker closely following the SOI, which has marker code values FFh E0h and the characters JFIF in the marker data. Besides the JFIF marker segment, there are one or more optional JFIF extension marker segments, followed by the actual image data.
Each marker consists of two bytes (FF followed by a byte that specifies the type of marker). Markers can either be stand-alone or indicate the start of a marker segment. In contrast, JPG has a series of segments beginning with a marker, which has several binary OxFFXX data.
The first marker has a binary value, 'OxFFD8', and ends with a binary value, 'OxFFD9'. The makers designate the time of the JPG data or information. A 0x00 byte is inserted after any 0xFF byte before the next byte within the entropy-compressed data.
The insertion prevents framing errors because there will be no markers where they are not intended to be or exist. The JPG decoders tend to skip the 0x00 byte. Based on the essential components of JPG and JFIF, it is apparent that both formats have slight structural design differences.
Animation
JPG and JFIF do not support multiple frames, animations, animated images, or lively content. Their file extension structures comprise individual pixels or image frames, making short animations difficult to create. As such, users cannot create looped animated images or image sequences using JPG or JFIF.
Storage
JFIF files store JPEG-encoded data streams, which are compressed using lossy JPEG compression, and may include uncompressed raster thumbnail data. Similarly, JPG files store image data using lossy JPEG compression. Both formats use the same compression method, resulting in comparable file sizes when using similar settings.
Both JPG and JFIF files require less storage space than uncompressed image formats due to the efficient lossy compression used. These formats can be stored indefinitely on various storage media, including file systems, cloud storage, hard drives, content delivery networks (CDNs), floppy drives, and through Base64 encoding. The longevity of storage is subject to the handling process, storage mediums, or conditions.
Compression
JPG and JFIF both use lossy JPEG compression, which involves Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients, quantization, and entropy coding such as Huffman or arithmetic coding. These processes reduce file sizes by eliminating unnecessary information and efficiently encoding vital image data. The block compression technique allows users to control the amount of data lost and the final image size.
Lossless JPEG compression, which preserves all image data, is a separate standard and is not typically associated with JFIF. Lossy JPEG images, including those in the JFIF format, can suffer from compression artifacts at higher compression levels, while lossless compression retains higher image quality.
Browser Support
JFIF and JPG are modern image file formats that enjoy universal web browser support. Both formats are adopted across computer systems, applications, and platforms. Yet, JFIF encountered some web browser compatibility issues, which were resolved, although certain modern and older browsers do not support it.
Microsoft Edge, Opera Mini, Chrome, Apple Safari, Internet Explorer, and Firefox support both JPG and JFIF files. Nevertheless, Brave, Vivaldi, and Discord, which support JPG files, do not support JFIF. Note that Vivaldi and Discord require additional plug-ins to support or be compatible with JFIF.
Convert JPG to JFIF or JFIF to JPG
Convert JPG to JFIF automatically using Convertjack. Users prefer JFIF because it is a traditional file format suitable for complex photos or images without text. It maintains excellent image quality and significantly smaller file sizes.
Convertjack is the best JFIF to JPG converter because the JPG file type offers a better balance between browser support or compatibility and file size.