Does JPEG lose quality when renamed, copied, and saved?

No, a JPEG image’s image quality will not be affected by renaming, copying, or storing it. The reason is, that JPEG uses lossy compression, quality is reduced only when the file is first encoded, not when it is simply opened and saved.

Other than that, a JPEG file can be renamed by simply altering the file name or extension. The image maintains its original quality without any loss or modification as a result of this operation.

1. Copying

A JPEG file can be copied to produce an identical replica of the original image. The cloned image maintains the original’s quality and compression. During the copying process, quality is not compromised.

2. Saving

To save a JPEG image, you may need to use the Save As command to make a new copy with a unique file name or compression options. The compression parameters selected during the save process determine the image’s quality. There would not be any further quality loss if you utilized the same compression settings as the original. Higher compression settings, however, might lead to further quality loss.

Note:

  • Due to the intrinsic properties of the format, some image quality may be lost each time you open and re-save a JPEG image with higher compression. People often refer to this issue as generation loss.
  • Working with the highest quality original and only using compression or saving when necessary will help to reduce this loss. The quality of a JPEG image can eventually deteriorate noticeably if it is repeatedly saved and restored.

In conclusion, the quality of a JPEG image does not degrade when it is renamed, copied, or saved if the compression parameters are left alone, the original quality is preserved. Higher compression settings during the save process, however, may lead to more quality loss at that particular time.

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