GIF vs JPG
| Property | GIF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graphics Interchange Format | JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) |
| File extensions | .gif | .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe |
| Created by | CompuServe | Joint Photographic Experts Group (ISO and ITU) |
| Introduced | 1987 | 1992 |
| Compression | Lossless, but limited to 256 colours per frame | Lossy: each save throws away detail you rarely notice |
| Transparency | On or off per pixel only (no soft edges) | No |
| Animation | Yes, its main use today | No |
| Typical size | Large for its quality: a few seconds of video can be several MB | About 2–5 MB for a 12-megapixel phone photo |
| Opens on | Every browser, phone, chat app and social network | Every phone, computer, browser, printer and upload form |
| Best for | Short looping animations and reactions | Photos you share, print or upload anywhere |
Why convert GIF to JPG?
GIF is a fine format for small animations but awkward everywhere else. Many upload forms only accept JPG or PNG, word processors play GIFs as moving pictures in documents, and some printers and photo apps handle them badly. Converting to JPG gives you an ordinary still image that works everywhere.
A few things to know before converting. Only the first frame of an animated GIF is kept. If you want another moment from the animation, open the GIF in a browser, pause it where you want, and take a screenshot instead. GIF images are limited to 256 colours, so converting to JPG will not add detail that was not there; it just stores the same picture in a more widely accepted format.
For logos, pixel art and graphics with flat colours, GIF to PNG is usually better: it is lossless, keeps transparency and avoids JPG's soft edges around text.