When is PNG better than JFIF?
Portable Network Graphics files support transparency, while JFIF files hardly support transparent backgrounds. This makes PNG an ideal choice for images that require features such as web graphics, comic illustrations, and logos.
PNG files support many colors, lossless compression, excellent image editing, sharp images, and solid colors.
When is JFIF better than PNG?
Due to lossy compression, JFIF images are smaller and require less bandwidth or storage space, making them ideal for web imagery where fast loading times and reduced bandwidth are essential. PNG images are larger because they use lossless compression. Both formats are widely supported across different devices and browsers, ensuring compatibility regardless of varied hardware or software configurations.
The pros of JFIF images include their well-organized structures and markers, offering more image data, and being highly compatible with most systems, platforms, and software, making them easier to edit, display, and interpret consistently.
JFIF versus PNG Table Comparison
| Aspect/Factor | PNG | JFIF |
| Transparency | Supports transparency | Does not support transparency |
| File Size | Unlimited file size and larger files than JFIF. | Smaller files than PNG files. |
| Image Quality | High-quality and supports more colors than JFIF | Low-quality images than PNG. |
| Performance | Slower web responsiveness compared to JFIF. | Higher web responsiveness than PNG. |
| Structure | A raster-based: Starts with an 8-byte signature header and ends with multiple IDAT chunks. | A raster graphics: Starts with a JFIF-compliant file and ends with the JFIF marker data characters. |
| Animation | Does not support animation | Does not support animation |
| Storage | Requires more storage space compared to JFIF. | Requires less storage space than PNG |
| Compression | Uses lossless compression with Huffman coding and LZ77 algorithms. | Uses lossless, packbit/ZIP, and JPEG lossy compression |
| Browser Support | Widely supported by almost all browsers. | Comparatively limited support than PNG |
Differences and similarities between PNG and JFIF images
When doing a PNG versus JFIF, you will discover that the formats are similar in animation support. However, they are dissimilar in file sizes, image quality, browser support, performance, storage mediums, compression techniques, structure, and transparency support.
Transparency
PNG files support alpha channel transparency, while JFIF files do not. Although JFIF hardly supports transparency, the file format's structure is transparent. JPEG coding depends on the algorithms and tools used to read its file structure.
JFIF's transparent images require sophisticated tools or software to build. On the other hand, the PNG file's alpha channel transparency supports each pixel by setting it up to varying transparency levels, including 0 for fully transparent and 255 for fully opaque.
The transparency channel subjects within the PNG structure are controlled through the tRNS ancillary chunks. Besides, PNG also supports the RGBA color scheme, supplementing the discretionary alpha channel with 256 transparency levels.
File Size
PackBits/Zip and lossless JFIF files are larger, although comparatively smaller than PNGs. Besides, the JFIF files support lossy compression, which deletes unnecessary data or image information, making them relatively smaller than the losslessly compressed PNG files.
Due to the file formats' components, JFIF files support a maximum file size of 65,535×65,535 pixels, a capacity of 4 gigapixels, and an aspect ratio of 1:1. Conversely, PNG has no file size limit and can be as large as 140GB or more. PNG's maximum file dimension is 2G x 2G pixels, making them larger than JFIF.
Image Quality
PNG images offer the highest bits per pixel compared to JFIF images. A PNG file supports 256 colors using the quantized palette. RGB PNGs support up to 16 million colors, full-color non-palette-based RGBA images, grayscale images, and palette-based images with 32-bit RGBA or 24-bit RGB colors.
JFIF supports 24-bit RGB raster thumbnail data. The number of colors JFIF supports up to 16,777,216 colors. JFIF offers resolution using an application segment extension to JPEG. It provides both high and low-resolution levels.
As a result, PNG files are of relatively higher quality than low and high-res JFIF files, which lose image information through lossy compression. PNG image quality remains high even after being compressed. The algorithms used during lossless compression preserve image data.
Performance
PNG uses lossless compression with LZ77 algorithms and Huffman coding, which retains all image data, whereas JFIF uses JPEG encoding algorithms that significantly minimize file sizes. As a result, the lossy-compressed JFIFs are comparatively smaller than PNGs, making them load faster online.
However, the lossy and PackBits/ZIP compressed JFIF files are larger, although smaller than the losslessly compressed PNGs. Still, the compressed JFIF files increase web responsiveness and enhance user experience compared to the compressed PNGs.
Structure
PNG and JFIF file formats are both raster-based formats. PNG's structure starts with an 8-byte magic identifying signature, followed by different chunks with uniform syntax. The numerous IDAT chunks are efficiently contained inside a compressed image data file.
All chunks follow a distinct structure; their identification relates to the inner PNG file format. PNG files contain important chunks supported by all writers and readers. However, each chunk is read in sequence from the data stream start to its end, making it difficult to compare PNGs and JFIFs.
JFIF file comprises a series of markers similar to the JPEG Standard. Every marker has two bytes. JFIF markers can either be unconnected or specify the beginning of a marker segment.
JFIF's APP0 marker segment is an obligatory subdivision holding image parameters. The markers may similarly have an embedded thumbnail. Finally, JFIF has an extension APP0 marker segment.
The APP0 is a non-compulsory unit that, if well-defined, should instantly follow the JFIF APP0 marker section. The section is supported by JFIF version 1.02 and above and permits the embedding of thumbnails in three dissimilar formats.
Animation
PNG and JFIF files do not support animation. JFIF file format does not support multiple frames or animated or lively content. Its file structure comprises individual pixels or image frames. On the other hand, PNG specifications are extended in APNG, which supports animation by integrating the animation control chunk.
Storage
Lossless PNGs are larger than the lossy and losslessly compressed JFIF files. JFIF stores compressed raster thumbnail data and compressed JPEG-encoded data streams or bitmap data. Conversely, lossless PNGs are info-rich and preserve all image data during compression, making them larger than JFIFs.
PNGs require more storage space than JFIFs, although data can be stored indefinitely in Base64, file systems, the cloud, Content Delivery Networks, hard drives, DVDs, and CDs. Proper handling, good storage mediums, and the situation to which such files are subjected determine the storage time.
Compression
PNG uses lossless compression with Huffman and LZ77 coding, whereas JFIF uses lossy JPEG encoding compression algorithms. JFIF uses Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), quantization, and the Huffman coding to minimize file sizes by reducing spaces between data values and storing vital image information.
JFIF's lossless compression minimizes image sizes while striving to preserve image quality significantly, but its lossy JFIF suffers from compression artifacts. The PNG format compresses images with a non-patented lossless file compression method called DEFLATE.
DEFLATE uses different compression algorithms, from 0 (for no compression) to 9 (complete compression). The PHP GD default application selects the algorithms that combine Huffman coding and LZ77 algorithms. The chosen algorithms recreate the original image precisely.
Browser Support
PNG is widely supported by almost all web browsers, unlike the JFIFs, which necessitate specific extensions or plug-ins to support browsers. For instance, PNG is supported by Opera, Vivaldi, Apple Safari, Discord, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome.
On the other hand, JFIF is supported by Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge. However, Vivaldi and Discord require additional plug-ins or extensions to support JFIF files or images.
Converting PNG to JFIF or JFIF to PNG
Convertjack helps users convert PNG to JFIF. JFIF enables embedding, is highly supported and compatible with most platforms and software, and is smaller, increasing web performance and user experience. It also offers a standardized structure, allowing for easy image editing.
Use a JFIF to PNG converter named convertjack, which allows prompt conversion. PNGs are high-quality and support alpha channel transparency, making them ideal for logos, charts, and web graphics.