FasciPedia:Why we do not use jpgs
The short version
They suck.
More detailed version
Online Conversion
- https://jpg2png.com/
- https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/image/convert/jpg-to-png
- https://convertio.co/jpg-png/
- https://jpegtopng.com/
- https://www.freeconvert.com/jpg-to-png
Jpgs are friggin' OLD
Back when the Internet was still fairly new, the JPEG reigned as king of all image formats. Thanks to its ability to compress complex images into a low file size, JPEGS were the perfect format to use with dial-up modems and floppy disks. But nobody has used those ancient relics in years. they were old 25 years ago in the 90's, and should have been retired way back then, along with those relics.
It’s not that JPEGs are necessarily bad; it’s just that they’re not a the best format for modern jobs. If you are having trouble letting go of JPEGs, consider this your wake-up call.
What makes JPEGs so crappy
Why did we turn off jpg uploads on FasciPedia?
JPEGs are too small
Most JPEGs are designed for use on the web of the 1990's, so they’re kept as small as possible. But that becomes a problem;
Your run-of-the-mill JPEG for the web is only 72 PPI (pixels per inch, sometimes referred to by the misnomer DPI), but in order to make an image look good (especially in print) at standard dimensions, it should be at least 300 PPI. You can get a high-quality from a JPEG that’s 300 PPI or higher, but the JPEG has to have started life as a high-resolution image. You can’t convert a 72 PPI JPEG to 300 PPI and achieve quality results.
JPEGs sacrifice quality for low file size
No matter what the resolution of your image, there is still going to be some level of quality loss when you save it as a JPEG. This is because JPEG is a lossy compression format, which means some of the detail of your image will be lost when saved in order to keep a low file size. Craptastic.
Lossy compression formats make it impossible for you to recover the original data, so not only is the image altered, but the effect is irreversible. Worst of all, every time you save a JPEG, it gets compressed further and further, which can eventually lead to a downward spiral of blotchy, distorted images.
Lossy crappy compression is awful, but it’s actually not always noticeable. Compression on a photograph is often negligible-the biggest problems arise when you try to save vector graphics, text or anything with hard line art. In these cases, the loss of quality makes images look fuzzy and text unreadable.
JPEGs are hard to resize
Here’s a good way to permanently ruin your JPEG image; try resizing it. Granted, you might be able to go smaller without much of a loss in quality (though if you go too low, you’ll lose most of your detail). But if your JPEG has line art or text, even a small drop in size can result in a blurred image.
And if you want to go bigger, forget about it. Increasing the size of your JPEG artwork without hemorrhaging quality is impossible; you’ll always end up with a pixelated mess on your hands. And we resize images of FasciPedia constantly.
What this means that if working with JPEGs is a must, you have to start with the biggest possible size and work your way down to a level that’s usable without too much loss in quality. Th8s defeats the entire point 9f compression. Having to use giant JPEGs is an inefficient way for people to work-and it nullifies the biggest selling point that JPEG has going for itself. What’s the point of losing image quality in exchange for a smaller file when you end up needing a JPEG that’s as big as it can possibly be?
JPEGs don’t support transparency
Example: When you save a logo as a JPEG, any transparent areas of your canvas are automatically filled in with white. This can lead to issues when you try to print that logo on a dark colored background.
Even if you print on a white background or with white stock, you can sometimes still see the white canvas around the logo due to color error stemming from lossy compression. Shitty, I know.
JPEGs can’t handle alpha transparency either, which is why hard lines always look bad in a JPEG. When you can’t use hard lines, that eliminates most vector shapes, logos and text-practically the bread and butter of any design. That's just one example, Fascipedia us3s transparency in so many different ways there is no real reason to bang this dead horse any further.
What to use instead of JPEGs
On FasciPedia, we allow just about any format EXCEPT jpgs. ...but we prefer PNGs.
Depending on the situation, JPEGs could still be a good file format for the rest of the web-l, but we need lossless images and images with hard lines, so stick to a PNG or GIF file instead. PNG will take slightly longer to load, but it’s simply worth it because it means the difference between a good or bad image. Also: just ask if you need a special format, and its not setup.
Your take-away
Yes, jpgs seem locked in, but understand all the negative qualities that JPEGs bring to the table.