Novus Convert
Convert files
Image format

JXL converter

A .jxl file uses JPEG XL, the JPEG committee's designated successor to the original JPEG, engineered to cover lossy photography, lossless graphics, and animation in one codec. Uniquely, it can re-compress existing JPEG files about 20 percent smaller with bit-exact reversibility, making it attractive for archiving legacy photo libraries.

Private for supported formats — processed in your browser

Convert supported files

Runs on your device

Drop JXL files here

Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.

Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.

Where JXL comes from

JPEG XL emerged from merging Google's PIK and Cloudinary's FUIF proposals and was standardized as ISO/IEC 18181 across 2021-2022. Chrome briefly shipped it behind a flag before removing the code in early 2023, a decision that drew broad industry pushback, while Apple went the other way and enabled it across its platforms with Safari 17 in 2023.

How JXL works

  • Two coding paths: VarDCT for lossy photographic content and Modular mode for lossless or synthetic imagery
  • Handles up to 32-bit float per channel, wide gamut, and HDR transfer functions
  • Lossless JPEG transcoding losslessly repacks old JPEG data roughly 20% smaller and can reconstruct the original file exactly
  • Progressive decoding by design: a truncated file yields a usable lower-quality image
  • Supports animation, alpha, multiple extra channels, and dimensions far beyond other web formats

When to use JXL

  • Archiving JPEG collections at reduced size with a guaranteed path back to the originals
  • High-fidelity photography storage at 10+ bits with HDR
  • Authoring pipelines that want one codec for both lossy and lossless outputs
  • Delivery to Apple-centric audiences where Safari support is assured

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • State-of-the-art compression across both photographic and synthetic content
  • Reversible recompression of existing JPEGs is unique among modern formats
  • Very high bit depths, HDR, alpha, and animation in one specification
  • Royalty-free

Limitations

  • Chrome and Firefox do not ship it by default, which blocks mainstream web use
  • Software support outside Apple platforms and specialist tools remains sparse
  • The ecosystem's momentum is still uncertain after Chrome's removal

Compatibility

Safari 17+ decodes JPEG XL on macOS and iOS, and Apple's system frameworks handle it OS-wide from macOS Sonoma and iOS 17. Chrome removed its experimental support in 2023 and Firefox keeps it behind a nightly flag, so cross-browser delivery still requires AVIF or WebP fallbacks; on the desktop, support arrives via libjxl-based plugins and recent versions of tools like GIMP and darktable.

EXIF and XMP are embedded in dedicated container boxes and survive JPEG-to-JXL transcoding, including full restoration when reconstructing the original JPEG.

Convert JXL to another format