Image MIME Reference
JNG
JPEG Network Graphics
image/x-jng
VS
SealedMedia Portable Network Graphics
image/vnd.sealed.png
Sealed-PNG
A complete technical comparison of JPEG Network Graphics and SealedMedia Portable Network Graphics — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | JNG | Sealed-PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | Yes | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | ✕ No |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | ✕ No |
JPEG Network Graphics
image/x-jng
Extension
.jng
Container
PNG-style Chunk Structure (JHDR, JDAT, IDAT, IEND)
Compression
Lossy (JPEG/DCT for color) / Lossless (Deflate for alpha mask)
Algorithm
JPEG (Discrete Cosine Transform)Deflate (LZ77)
Color Depth
8-bit, 12-bit, 24-bit (RGB), 32-bit (RGBA)
Developed by
MNG Development Group (Glenn Randers-Pehrson et al.)
Released
2001
Magic Bytes
8B 4A 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A
SealedMedia Portable Network Graphics
image/vnd.sealed.png
Extension
.spng.sealed-png
Container
SealedMedia / Oracle IRM Wrapper
Compression
Encrypted Payload (Deflate)
Algorithm
AES EncryptionDeflate (Internal PNG payload)
Color Depth
Encrypted Payload
Developed by
SealedMedia (Acquired by Oracle Corporation)
Released
Late 1990s / Early 2000s
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary SealedMedia Container)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | JNG | Sealed-PNG |
|---|---|---|
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✕ | ✕ |
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✕ | ✕ |
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✕ | ✕ |
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✕ | ✕ |
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✕ | ✕ |
JNG
JNG Strengths
- Solved a massive technical hurdle in the early 2000s by combining high-compression lossy photographic data with crisp, 8-bit alpha transparency
- Utilized the highly robust, extensible chunk-based architecture of the PNG format
- Provided an excellent, bandwidth-saving alternative to massive 32-bit transparent PNGs for web design
Limitations
- Failed to achieve critical mass; browser vendors largely abandoned the MNG/JNG standard due to implementation complexity
- Completely obsolete today, having been superseded by natively supported, superior formats like WebP, AVIF, and HEIC
- Decoding requires a hybrid engine that can parse PNG chunks while simultaneously decoding a JPEG stream and a Deflate stream, complicating software support
Sealed-PNG
Sealed-PNG Strengths
- Provided absolute control over intellectual property, allowing enterprise administrators to instantly revoke viewing rights of a local file globally
- Detailed audit trails tracked exactly who opened the image, when, and from what IP address
Limitations
- Completely proprietary and relies on a central authentication server; if the server goes offline, the image is permanently inaccessible
- No support in modern operating systems, web browsers, or standard image editing software without installing heavy enterprise DRM clients
- Oracle effectively deprecated the IRM product line, leaving legacy sealed documents difficult to recover
When to choose which format
JNG
Use JNG when…
- Embedded frames in MNG animations
- Historical web graphics requiring lossy compression with transparency
Sealed-PNG
Use Sealed-PNG when…
- Enterprise Information Rights Management (IRM)
- Secure Corporate Intellectual Property Distribution
- Revocable Medical or Legal Imaging