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In computing, JPEG (pronounced /ˈdʒeɪpɛɡ/, JAY-peg) is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality.

It seems like everybody has an opinion when it comes to RAW vs JPEG photo formats - myself included. In preparation for the next article in the "Adobe Bridge" series, I'd like to get this out of the way so we can just refer back to it. I won't try pushing one format over the other due to my personal preference, I'm just going to present you with a few images. It's up to you to decide what looks best and if that format fits into your own workflow.

So, you've forked over at least $600 (but probably $1000) for your first DSLR camera. You have more buttons, dials, and menus than you know what to do with, even after reading through the fat booklet that came with your camera and explains its usage in ten differnent languages.

It's all you can do to understand ISO, shutter speed, and how less is more when it comes to aperture. This beast of a camera can produce files in a Raw format, whatever that means, but it also has the nice comfortable JPEG format that we all know and love.

Like me you probably happily shoot in JPEG for quite awhile - getting used to the myriad of options available to you. One day you look at that Raw setting and ask, "should I be using Raw for the best quality? What is Raw, exactly?"

Cameras all start with raw data and convert this data to JPG images with hardware in the camera. They then throw away the raw data since it's no longer needed.

Saving this raw data is exactly like people who save twenty years of newspapers in piles around their house. They know they might need the information sometime, but it sure gets in the way! Other people think they are crazy.