Hi Roll20 team,
I’d like to request support for the JPEG XL image format ( .jxl ).
JPEG XL is a modern, royalty-free image format that offers significantly better compression than classic JPEG while preserving high visual quality. It also supports progressive loading, HDR, wide color gamuts, and (in the full spec) animation and alpha. As of October 2026, still-image decoding is now available by default in Chrome 155+, Firefox 158+, and Safari 17+ (macOS/iOS). This means the major browsers your users rely on can already display static .jxl files without flags or plugins.
Why this would help Roll20
Smaller uploads and faster loading — Maps, tokens, character portraits, handouts, and scene art are often large. JPEG XL typically delivers 30–50% smaller files than JPEG at comparable quality, which reduces bandwidth and storage for both creators and players. Higher quality at the same file size — Creators can upload richer, cleaner artwork without hitting practical size limits as quickly. Better archival of existing assets — JPEG XL can losslessly recompress existing JPEGs into smaller files that can still reconstruct the original JPEG exactly if needed. Future-proofing — The format already supports animation. Once browser support for animated JPEG XL matures further (Safari currently handles stills only), it would be a natural fit for things like slowly burning campfires, flickering torches, subtle token animations, or short looping scene effects—without needing separate video files.
Suggested rollout
Phase 1 (high value, low risk): Accept and display static .jxl images for maps, tokens, handouts, and other image uploads. Browsers already handle this. Phase 2 (optional later): Add animated JPEG XL support once animation coverage improves, or as an opt-in feature for creators who want lightweight looping effects.
I’m happy to help test or provide example files if useful. JPEG XL feels like a natural next step for a platform that already handles a lot of visual content, and the browser support is finally in place to make it practical.
Thank you for considering it. LDJ
