As many of us already know, there are many different formats or extensions of the files that we create and store in our computers. These extensions correspond to the various applications that can read and open the respective files. There are many different types of files, some of which are specific to the type of the file at hand. For example a .doc or .docx is a Microsoft word file whereas a .ppt is a Microsoft PowerPoint file. It is these extensions that enable the appropriate application to start up when we double click on the file to open it. In this article, we will differentiate two such formats which are known as PDF and JPEG.
PDF, which is short for Portable Document Format is a format that is used to present various types of documents in a readable or viewable manner. The PDF is more like a universal format that is independent of any hardware, operating system, software or application. A typical PDF file encapsulates the complete description of a flat document with a fixed layout. This includes the text, graphics, fonts as well as other information that is needed for the display of the contents of the file. The most common application that is used in computers and smartphones to open PDF files is Adobe Reader. PDF files are very useful; they can be used as an alternative to many different types of data; for storing documents as in Microsoft Word, slides as in PowerPoint, images as in JPEG and so on.
JPEG, on the other hand, is a method that is very commonly used and it actually compresses digital images in what is known as lossy compression. The extension of JPEG files is .jpg or .jpeg. It is especially used for compressing images that are produced by digital photography. The compression can be to varying extents. The two main options that need to be addressed for compression are the size of the file and image quality which are directly proportional. What is good about JPEG compression is that it achieves a 10 is to 1 ratio of compression and there is hardly any loss of quality in the compression.
JPEG is generally a graphic image file whereas a PDF is a document file. This is the main difference between the two formats. Both of these can be converted into the other but generally they are used for different purposes. Note that for the same file that is made available in the two formats, a JPEG image of a certain document will be of a smaller size than the same document as a PDF file. This is simply because JPEG is a compression method.
Moving on, a PDF file preserves the original layout of any document but also leaves the different parts of the document open to editing. JPEGs, however, compress various components of an image or document into one single file that cannot be separated into the original components.
Another difference is with respect to copying text. A PDF allows you to copy selected text from the file whereas a JPEG doesn’t allow you to copy selected text from the file although the whole image can be copied as it is.
As mentioned earlier, the two formats can be converted into each other. A JPEG to PDF conversion will protect the layout of the image whereas a conversion in the other direction produces a compressed image of the document.
Summary
- JPEG is generally a graphic image file whereas a PDF is a document file
- For the same file that is made available in the two formats, a JPEG image of a certain document will be of a smaller size than the same document as a PDF file simply because JPEG is a compression method
- A PDF file preserves the original layout of any document but also leaves the different parts of the document open to editing; JPEGs, however, compress various components of an image or document into one single file that cannot be separated into the original components
- A PDF allows you to copy selected text from the file whereas a JPEG doesn’t allow you to copy selected text
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