Difference between JPEG and TIFF

JPEG and TIFF are two common file formats that are used for storing photos. JPEG and TIFF images are raster images that use pixels with one or more associated numbers to define them. The value of these integers determines the location, colour, and size of each pixel in the image. Almost all of the photos you see on the internet or on digital cameras are raster images. The way images in JPEG and TIFF formats are compressed differs because they are both raster images. The main distinction between these file formats is that the image is compressed using the lossy compression method in JPEG format. On the other hand, the TIFF format allows for lossless compression.

In this article, you will learn the difference between JPEG and TIFF. But before discussing the differences, you must know about inline and macro with their advantages and disadvantages.

What is JPEG?

JPEG is an abbreviation for "Joint Photo Graphic Experts Group". It is an international organization that standardized the JPEG format in the early 1990s. JPEG is a file format for storing images on digital cameras and other reprographic devices. JPEG is a sort of image format that uses lossy compression to store data. As a result of compression, the output image is a trade-off between storage size and image quality. Users may modify the compression level to reach the desired level of quality while reducing storage space. Image quality is only marginally degraded when 10:1 compression is used. When the compression value is higher, the loss in image quality is also higher. JPEG file format is identifiable by the file extension .jpg or .jpeg.

Advantages and Disadvantages of JPEG

There are various advantages and disadvantages of JPEG. Some main advantages and disadvantages of JPEG are as follows:

Advantages

1. The JPEG standard supports 24-bit colour with up to 16 million colours. Therefore the maximum resolution is excellent.
2. There is no requirement to alter any image before printing it, so JPEG files may be printed directly from camera devices.
3. JPEG files are quite small in size, yet the quality is not poor for their size. As a result, you can minimize disk space while storing JPEG images without sacrificing image quality.
4. It offers a high compression rate, excellent image quality, and a fast transmission rate.
5. JPEG is supported by all computer systems, camera devices, mobile devices, and picture editors.

Disadvantages

1. JPEG is not a versatile application since it is inefficient for images with text, sharp lines, or edges. It is best suited for portraiture and nature photography.
2. JPEG images have lower color depth than other image formats.
3. The JPEG standard does not enable opacity or transparency. The transparent component of any image is usually treated as a white region in JPEG.
4. The image may lose critical details due to lossy compression, which means that the image is divided into 8×8 blocks, and considerable information is deleted.
5. Layered images are not supported in JPEG file format.

What is TIFF?

TIFF is an abbreviation for "Tagged Image File Format". It was first introduced by Aldus Corporation, and it is a popular image format for scanned images. It was established in the early 1980s when desktop scanners created the format for images, and it could only support grayscale images.

TIFF file format allows users to store uncompressed images and encoded images using lossless or lossy compression methods. The lossless compression of TIFF images does not affect image quality. As a result, it is popular among photographers because it has become the most convenient option for keeping high-quality images.

Nonetheless, lossless compression has become the industry standard for TIFF compression. TIFF images are larger in size than other raster images such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF.

Advantages and Disadvantages of TIFF

There are various advantages and disadvantages of TIFF. Some main advantages and disadvantages of TIFF are as follows:

Advantages

1. TIFF file formats may produce lossless compression, making them perfect for picture processing.
2. It may store images in both 8-bit and 16-bit colour depths.
3. It may transmit data between platforms without losing resolution.
4. It may store high-quality jpg photos.
5. It may be utilized on a variety of systems, applications, and programs.

Disadvantages

1. The biggest downside of using the tiff file format is the file size it generates. The file size grows as the image remains original without losing any data and even enhances the image.
2. It takes too long to transfer and download photos due to its size.
3. It is incompatible with the web platform.

Key differences between JPEG and TIFF

There are various key differences between JPEG and TIFF file formats. Some of the key differences between JPEG and TIFF file formats are as follows:

1. JPEG uses a lossy compression approach to save images with no discernible loss in image quality. In contrast, the TIFF standard utilizes lossless compression. However, it allows the user to choose whether or not to compress the image.
2. When it comes to JPEG images, they were created to produce realistic photo images for small computer screens. In contrast, TIFF files were released to accommodate high-resolution scanned images.
3. JPEG images have a modest file size, which can be up to 10 MB, due to data loss during compression. In contrast, TIFF files have a greater file size than JEPG images, which can be up to 4 GB due to lossless compression.
4. JPEGs are widely compatible with most common OS, editing software, and printers. On the other hand, TIFF is also compatible with most conventional OS, editing programs, and printers; nevertheless, they may be incompatible with some printers and scanners due to their large size.
5. JPEG format is commonly used by users to save images, post images on the internet, share images via applications, etc. In contrast, photographers and editors employ the TIFF format so that they can manipulate photographs further before printing them in magazines, newspapers, papers, etc.
6. JPEGs have little editing freedom, and major changes may result in undesirable artefacts such as banding, and they are unable to save layers. In contrast, TIFF files have a lot of data, so you may do a lot of post-processing in editors like Lightroom and Capture One without losing quality. TIFFs are also useful for Photoshop processing because they can save layers.

Head-to-head comparison between JPEG and TIFF

Here, you will learn the head-to-head comparisons between JPEG and TIFF file formats. The main differences between JPEG and TIFF file formats are as follows:

Conclusion

JPEG and TIFF are two file formats that are used to store images. JPEG uses lossy compression on images, whereas TIFF uses lossless compression. JPEGs are a good file format to use if you want to save hard disk space and keep file sizes small. On the other hand, the TIFF file format provides higher quality and versatility when editing. It is ultimately up to you and relies on your intended usage, whether you use JPEG or TIFF.