JPG — Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPEG has been the default photo format for more than thirty years, and that longevity is the entire point: there is no device, browser, printer or application that cannot open one. It discards detail your eye is unlikely to miss, which keeps files small — but it repeats that loss every single time you re-save.
Strengths
- Opens on every device, browser, printer and photo lab in existence
- Small files, with a quality dial you control
- The safest possible thing to attach, upload or hand to someone else
Limitations
- Lossy, and the damage accumulates with every re-save
- No transparency — see-through areas are flattened onto a solid colour
- Noticeably heavier than WebP or AVIF at matched quality