JPEG 2000 is a new standard for digital imaging. Building on the original image coding work of the JPEG committee, which is now widely used for photographic imagery, it addresses many of the shortcomings of existing digital image coding systems, adds up-to-date support for new technology, and enables novel applications through its scalable design.

This Guide is targeted at various groups of image users who want to know more about JPEG 2000 and how (or whether) to deploy it in their own imaging workflows. These groups include managers, application software developers and end-users.

Following this introduction, Chapter 3 contains two case studies, highlighting methods of image use and some of the issues on which features of JPEG 2000 may impinge. The case studies chapter should prove accessible to all readers, along with the historical background chapter (Chapter 4) that follows. Those with little time have probably already focused on the executive summary above.

Chapter 5 is an overview of JPEG 2000 technology. This will be mainly of interest to software developers who may have cause to implement the standard. It is not intended to be comprehensive, or at a very technical level. It is intended as a basic introduction to the principles underlying JPEG 2000, and most importantly as a 'way into' the standard itself.

The final chapters cover other topics, such as migration to JPEG 2000 and various kinds of content management supported by the new standard. Their relevance to you may perhaps best be determined by glancing at the headings in the contents list above.

Finally, the Guide lists references to further information that may be of interest: standards connected with JPEG 2000, papers, books and other published material.

Note that the Guide concentrates on Part 1 of JPEG 2000 and certain aspects of the extended file format defined in Part 2. The other parts are dealt with more briefly.