The main difference between RAW vs. JPEG is that RAW contains all the uncompressed data your camera sensor can capture, whereas a JPEG is a compressed and processed version of an image.JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, an international organization that standardized the format during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It’s the go-to file format for digital images — and it has been ever since photographers began snapping and storing images on digital cameras and other reprographic devices.A JPEG file can display 16.8 million colors while staying relatively small in size. That’s what makes it the go-to file for photographers and web publishers alike.

A RAW file contains all the uncompressed and unprocessed image data captured by the sensors of a digital camera or scanner. They’re also a type of raster file format, but one that maintains lossless quality. RAW files are not images — they’re just large files filled with the image data as it was captured.Professional and amateur photographers regularly debate whether shooting in JPEG or RAW is better. While both raster file formats share similarities, there are some key advantages and disadvantages to each type. Discover the differences between JPEG and RAW files.

The main difference between any JPEG and RAW file is its size. RAW files are significantly bigger than JPEG (and any other) image file formats.That’s because they contain all the raw image information captured by your digital camera’s sensors, completely uncompressed. Like working with a film negative from a traditional camera, the RAW file holds all the original detail, so you have complete control over what you do with it.