What Makes JPEG Still Essential for Business in 2024

Born in 1992, JPEG has established itself as one of the most popular image formats. But what keeps JPEG relevant and essential in today’s fast-paced digital world? Dive into the key reasons why JPEG remains the top choice for businesses and how it continues to drive engagement and simplify workflows in 2024.

Understanding Raster and Vector Files

Before shifting to JPEG format, let’s get to basics first. There are two types of image files: raster and vector.

All images printed on paper are raster. If you zoom in on any picture drawn with the help of a pencil or pen, you’ll see that the image consists of a large amount of small dots that come together to create it. In the world of digital pictures, these dots are called pixels. Each pixel has its own size, colour, and position. So, a raster picture is a static combination of pixels that are arranged by the computer in the correct order with the colour needed. The most famous raster file types are JPEG (or JPG), PNG, GIF, and TIFF. HEIC which became a standard for Apple devices in 2017 is also a raster one.

Vector files rely on mathematical formulas, there are no pixels there. Instead of dots, images consist of geometric figures (rectangles, circles, lines) that have coordinates, radii, transparency, and other characteristics. It looks similar to a diagram of function, where the computer puts dots on the coordinate grid and draws lines between them to form shapes. EPS, SVG, SWF are among the most popular vector formats.

What is JPEG?

In 1986, photography experts from all over the world set up a committee to find the most effective way to transfer pictures and videos and create the image compression process. The committee was called the Joint Photographic Experts Group. Six years later, the group invented lossy compression for digital images and named it after the committee. You can read more about its history on the official website.

Web analytics company W3Techs says, in 2024, about 75.9% of all websites use JPEG. However, a website is not the only place to take advantage of this format. So, let’s finally find out more about the most effective ways for businesses to use this file type nowadays.

Best Ways to Use JPEG in 2024

Slideshows

Presentations help visualize data and engage the audience. JPEG being one of the most frequently used graphic elements is an excellent choice to do it.

First, JPEG is compact and can be compressed without losing too much quality. It’s crucial when you have a solid slideshow to run without lags or delays during the presentation.

Second, you can make a JPEG out of practically any popular document type, so descriptions, diagrams, and any other visuals made in a word processor can be easily converted from doc to jpg online tool.

Social Media and Websites

Another JPEG’s advantage is platform compatibility. All popular social media channels support this format. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram ensure that JPEGs are displayed without any issues, no matter what operating system you use.

JPEG can be optimized for mobile phones, which is crucial for social media browsing. According to DataReportal, in July 2021, 98.5% of Facebook’s audience aged 18 and more accessed the platform via mobile phones, compared to 16.7% who used laptops or desktop computers.

Moreover, a 2016 report from Google said that more than half (53%) of mobile users will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. So, using lightweight images like JPEG can significantly improve a website’s loading time.

Email Marketing

According to Statista, in 2023, around 347 billion emails were sent and received worldwide each day. The number is predicted to rise to over 408 billion daily emails by 2027. So, together with unique topics, catching subject lines and preview texts, discounts in the letter’s body, images also help your emails stand out from the crowd.

Adding a picture of the product you want to sell via your email will boost your chances. Besides, the images, along with subheadings, can break up your text into blocks and make it easier to read.

JPEGs also make it possible to include high-quality images without exceeding the email size limits. Optimized pictures load quickly and ensure that all the visual elements of your newsletter are displayed correctly across diverse email clients.

Finally, the format is easy to edit, which enables marketers to quickly adjust images and make the A/B testing flexible.

Document Distribution

Using JPEG can also be helpful while sharing documents with your colleagues, clients, and business associates. The image file will maintain the initial formatting and layout on any device. In addition to that, distributing documents as JPEGs makes it more secure, since editing an image will take effort if somebody wants it to look like the real one. However, a certain knowledge of graphic editors still makes it possible to do that. Moreover, the OCR technology can transform an image into a PDF or text document that can be easily modified.

Apart from that, the JPEG file can be easily used for advertising campaigns.

Recruitment Branding

Just as job applicants now create eye-catching digital CVs, recruiters can also use JPEG to make the brand look attractive. Using images, they can tell more about the company culture, office, and team spirit, offering candidates a glimpse into their future working environment.