orbfile

Image format

What is a JPG file?

JPG (or JPEG) is the format most cameras and phones save photos in by default — it uses lossy compression tuned for photographic detail.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) works by discarding image detail the human eye is least likely to notice, which is why it can shrink a photo to a fraction of its uncompressed size while still looking sharp at normal viewing sizes. That efficiency, combined with support baked into virtually every camera, phone, browser, and operating system since the early 1990s, made it the default photo format for the web and for personal photo libraries alike. The tradeoff is that JPEG is lossy: every time a file is re-saved, a little more detail is discarded, and it has no support for transparency, so it's a poor fit for logos or graphics that need to sit on any background.

How to open a JPG file

JPG files open readily in Any web browser, Your operating system's default photo viewer. For real editing rather than just viewing, reach for Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo.

Strengths & limitations

Good for

  • small file sizes for photos
  • supported by literally every image viewer, browser, and app ever made

Watch out for

  • no transparency
  • visible artifacts if compressed too aggressively
  • re-saving repeatedly degrades quality

Convert JPG files

Orbfile can convert JPG both ways, entirely in your browser — pick a direction below:

JPG to PNGJPG to WEBPJPG to AVIFJPG to GIFJPG to BMPJPG to TIFFJPG to ICOJPG to JXL

Frequently asked questions

What does a JPG file contain?+

JPG (or JPEG) is the format most cameras and phones save photos in by default — it uses lossy compression tuned for photographic detail.

Can I convert JPG for free?+

Yes — Orbfile's image converter handles JPG for free, with no file limit, watermark, or account, and it runs entirely in your browser.

Is converting a JPG file safe and private?+

Yes. Orbfile processes JPG files locally on your device using WebAssembly — nothing is uploaded to a server, so there's nothing to leak or store.

Who created the JPG format?+

JPG was developed by Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), first released around 1992.

Browse the full file format guide.