JPEG (JPG)

An editor that can export JPEG is sufficient for simple image preparation; an editable master may live in Photoshop, GIMP, or another appropriate application.

Creation can begin in a camera, scanner, image editor, or illustration application. The important deliverable distinction is source versus derivative: a raw photo or layered edit may be best preserved even when the final listing image is JPEG.

The source image may come from a camera or scan, then be edited in a raster application. Preserve the highest-quality original capture before correction. If the work includes live text, paths, or masks, keep those in a native or layered project file. Export JPEG from that source only when the product and recipient call for it.

Photoshop, GIMP, and ImageMagick can inspect or change raster images. Confirm color and metadata behavior in the installed version.

When selecting an editor, verify it can preserve the working source and inspect export dimensions and profile. The presence of a JPEG save button is not sufficient if the workflow needs controlled color conversion or product-specific crop templates.

Select an editor according to the work needed: crop and retouch a photograph, preserve an editable master, manage profiles, or prepare several product variants. Before switching tools, test how each handles Exif orientation and embedded profiles. A conversion that looks identical in a thumbnail may change the saved pixels or metadata that the maker receives.

The maker's RIP, print driver, or engraving application must explicitly support the file and intended job. Import support does not equal production approval.

Check the operator's actual software version for baseline/progressive support, color mode, metadata orientation, and image placement. Test a sample file if a machine accepts JPEG in principle but its edge-case behavior is uncertain.

The production application's import preview is an essential checkpoint because it may reinterpret orientation, physical scale, profile, or crop. Test the exact JPEG on the same software version and product template used for production. If the program converts it, document the conversion and check that the accepted composition remains intact before releasing the job.