How to Convert Photos to JPEG

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Many websites and apps only allow you to upload .JPG (also known as JPEG) images. If your image has the extension .GIF, .TIFF, .PNG or any other file extension then you will be frustrated. Although converting images to JPEG reduces sharpness, it is the format that is able to maintain the best quality with the smallest possible size. You don’t have to be a computer geek to convert photos to JPEG, just learn a few tips below.

Table of Contents

Using Paint on Windows

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Open Paint. Paint is pre-installed software on PC. Press ⊞ Win + S key to open the search dialog and type paint . When you see “Paint” appear in the search results, click on the software.

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Open the image in Paint. Make sure the image has been saved to your device. Click on the “File” menu and select “Open”. Locate the photo and click “OK”.

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Click “File” and then click the arrow next to “Save As”. You will see a list of image formats, including JPEG, appear.

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Click “JPEG”. The software will open a new dialog box that allows you to select a folder, rename the file and select “Save as type”. Navigate to an easy-to-remember folder and don’t forget to select “JPEG” in the “Save as type” section.

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Rename the file if desired, then click “Save”. Your file has been converted.

Use Online Converter on Computer, Smartphone or Tablet

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Choose an online converter. This method works on any device that can access the web, including tablets and smartphones. Search for the keyword “convert XXX to jpg online” (where “XXX” is the name of the format of the image to be converted to jpg) to survey the tool. Sites like Online-Convert ^{[1] X Research Source} contain a list of all the file formats it can convert to.

Make sure the site you choose is capable of handling your image format. ^{[2] X Research Source} Some image formats, such as .RAW files, are difficult to convert online because of their large size.
If using a mobile device, connect to Wi-Fi instead of using mobile data because the image size is quite large.

Using Preview on Mac

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Open the image in Preview. ^{[3] X Research Source} Preview is a pre-installed application on the Mac that opens most image formats. Ctrl + click the photo and then select “Open With”. Select “Preview.”

If you encounter an image format that can’t be opened or looks wrong in the software, try using an online converter or Gimp
This method only applies to images stored in the computer. If you haven’t downloaded the image yet, you must download it first.

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Click the “File” menu and select “Export.” A dialog box containing multiple menus will appear.

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Change the format to JPEG. You can adjust the quality and resolution if you want. The higher the quality or resolution, the larger the image size.

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Rename the file and save. Make sure the filename ends with “.jpg” (upper or lower case) then choose a memorable save location. Click “Save” to complete the conversion.

Use Gimp on PC, Mac or Linux

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Download Gimp. ^{[4] X Research Source} If you want to convert image formats that the software you are using does not support, or you are looking for a more powerful software, Gimb is the right choice. If you do not have Gimp software, download and install it on your computer.

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Open the image you want to convert. ^{[5] X Research Source} Click “File” > “Open”. Select the photo and click “Open” again.

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Click “File” > “Export As” to select the JPEG format. ^{[6] X Research Source} A dialog box containing many options will appear. You click on “JPEG”.

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Adjust options. A new dialog box appears with a JPEG option. Check the “Show preview in image window” dialog box before adjusting the image quality. Move the slider back and forth until you get the best image.

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Click “Export”. A dialog box appears asking you to choose a name for the new file and a save location. Find the folder that’s easy to remember and name it if you want. The file already has a .jpg extension, so you should keep that part (the extension is not case sensitive). Click “Save” to complete the conversion.

Change File Extension

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Find out where this approach can be applied. If your file is in JPEG format but the extension is incorrect, for example, mistyped “.JGP” instead of “.JPG”, you can use this method. This is not technically possible to “convert” the image to JPEG format.

If your image is not in JPEG format, changing the extension may damage the file. Please refer to other methods if you want to convert images to JPEG format.
File extensions are not case sensitive. .JPG and .jpg are the same.
Before proceeding, note down the original format of the file so that it can be converted back if necessary.

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Find files. The file may be saved on the desktop, in a separate folder that you can access via Finder or Windows Explorer.

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Set editable filenames. ^{[7] X Research Sources} On Windows, you can skip this step. For Mac users, you click the image once, choose “File” > “Get Info”. Click the arrow next to “Name and Extension” and uncheck the “Hide Extension” section. Click “Save”.

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Delete the current extension. Remove everything after the “.” in the filename.

On Mac, click the photo once and press ⏎ Return . Click at the end of the file extension and press Delete until everything after the (.) is deleted.
On Windows, right-click the image and select “Rename”. click at the end of the extension and press the ← Backspace key to delete everything after the (.).

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Type JPG after the dot. Uppercase or lowercase is fine. The file name must be in the form: image.jpg . Press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return .

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Confirm change. When using a Mac or PC, you’ll receive a warning that changing the file extension may prevent you from using the file. Click “Use.jpg” or “Yes” if you want to make changes. The file name now has the .JPG extension.

Advice

JPEG files have the extension .jpeg or .jpg. Doesn’t distinguish between uppercase or lowercase.
Always back up your photos before making any adjustments.
Uploading or uploading photos will consume a lot of mobile data.

Steps