JPEG images can carry several extensions beyond the familiar .jpg and .jpeg, including .jpe, .jfif, .jfi, .jif, .pjpeg, and .pjp. The jpe file extension is one of the less common variants that still contains standard JPEG compressed data. Here is what each extension means, where it came from, and how to turn any of them into a working .jpg file.

The Full List of JPEG Extensions

All JPEG images use the MIME type image/jpeg regardless of their file extension. The known extensions for JPEG compressed image data are:

  • .jpg
  • .jpeg
  • .jpe
  • .jfif
  • .jfi
  • .jif

Two additional extensions, .pjpeg and .pjp, are associated with progressive JPEG and use the non-standard MIME type image/pjpeg. Older Internet Explorer versions used these, and they also contain JPEG data.

If you have a file with any of these extensions, rename it to .jpg. The image data inside is the same, and the file will open normally.

Why So Many Extensions Exist

MS-DOS and the Three-Letter Limit

The three-letter .jpg became common because MS-DOS and early Windows limited extensions to three characters, a rule called 8.3 file names. This truncated .jpeg to .jpg. The .jpe extension was used by some older software as an alternative three-letter form.

The JFIF Family

The .jfif extension comes from the JPEG File Interchange Format, a specific file format standard. .jfi and .jif are shorter variants of .jfif. What is a jif file? It is simply a JPEG file with the .jif extension, no different in content from a .jpg. The same applies to .jfi files. All of these contain JPEG compressed image data and open in most image viewers once renamed.

Progressive JPEG and PJPEG Files

What is a pjpeg file?

A pjpeg file uses the .pjpeg or .pjp extension and is associated with progressive JPEG encoding. Progressive JPEG displays a low-quality version of the image first, then improves it as more data loads. Older Internet Explorer versions used this format and recognized the non-standard MIME type image/pjpeg. Despite the different extension, the underlying data is still JPEG compressed. Rename .pjpeg to .jpg and it will usually work, though some viewers may handle progressive JPEG differently.

Compatibility Problems with Rare Extensions

When Upload Forms Reject Your File

Some upload forms accept only .jpg, .jpeg and .png, rejecting the rarer extensions like .jpe, .jfif, .jfi, .jif, and .pjpeg. This blocks photo uploads to websites and email attachments. Fix it by renaming the file to .jpg. No special software is required.

Renaming on Windows and macOS

To rename a file on Windows: right click the file, choose Rename, change the extension (the part after the dot) to .jpg, and press Enter. On macOS: click the file, press Return, edit the extension to .jpg, and press Return again. On most systems you may need to enable showing file extensions in the view settings.

How to Convert a JFIF, JFI, JIF, JPE or PJPEG File to JPG

You have several options to convert these rare JPEG extensions to standard .jpg files. All methods preserve the original image quality because the image data does not need to be recompressed.

  1. Rename the file. Change the extension from .jfif, .jfi, .jif, .jpe, .pjpeg or .pjp to .jpg. The file will open in any program that supports JPEG.
  2. Open and resave. Open the file in an image editor that accepts the rare extension, then save a copy as .jpg. This works if the editor supports the format.
  3. Use a conversion tool. A site like jfiftojpgconverter.com can handle these extensions. Upload the file and download the .jpg output.

Renaming is the fastest method. If an upload form still rejects the file after renaming, open and resave the image in a basic editor.

All JPEG File Extensions at a Glance

Here is a summary of all JPEG file extensions and what they mean:

  • .jpg / .jpeg Standard JPEG extensions. .jpg is the three letter version from the MS-DOS era.
  • .jpe An alternate three letter extension for JPEG images, used by some older software.
  • .jfif JPEG File Interchange Format, a common container for JPEG data.
  • .jfi / .jif Shorter forms of .jfif, identical in content.
  • .pjpeg / .pjp Progressive JPEG, used by older Internet Explorer with the non-standard MIME type image/pjpeg.

All of these contain JPEG compressed image data. Rename any of them to .jpg and you get a working JPG file.

What to Do When an Upload Form Rejects Your File

Many websites restrict uploads to .jpg, .jpeg and .png only. Upload a .jfif, .jfi, .jif, .jpe, .pjpeg or .pjp file and you may get an error. Rename the file to .jpg on your computer before uploading. That is the quickest solution. If the form still rejects it, open the file in a basic image editor and save a copy as .jpg. This re-encodes the image and creates a file with a standard extension that most forms accept.

For an online method, use a service like jfiftojpgconverter.com. Upload the rare extension file and download the resulting .jpg.