JPG vs PNG: Which Format Is Right for Your Images?
JPG and PNG are the two image formats everyone meets first, and they solve different problems. JPG was built for photographs: it squeezes a photo down to a small file by discarding detail your eye barely notices. PNG was built for exactness: it keeps every pixel, supports transparency, and never degrades — at the cost of bigger files.
Photos: JPG wins
A photograph has millions of colours blending into each other, which is exactly what JPG compression is good at. The same photo saved as PNG is typically three to five times larger, with no visible improvement. For sharing photos, uploading them, or putting them on a website, JPG (or the newer WebP and AVIF) is the sensible choice. Use the JPG to WebP converter if you want the same quality at an even smaller size.
Graphics, text and screenshots: PNG wins
Sharp edges are JPG's weak point — text, logos, diagrams and screenshots come out with fuzzy halos around every edge. PNG keeps edges razor-sharp, which is why screenshots and interface graphics should always be PNG. If you have a screenshot saved as a JPG and the text looks blurry, converting it will not sharpen it (the damage is already done), but saving it as PNG from now on will keep it crisp.
Transparency: only PNG (and WebP, AVIF)
JPG has no transparency at all — every pixel is opaque. PNG supports a full alpha channel, so a logo can float over any background. If you need a transparent image, convert to PNG with the JPG to PNG converter, or better, export the graphic as PNG from the start.
A quick rule of thumb
- Photograph or camera shot? JPG or WebP.
- Screenshot, logo, diagram or text? PNG.
- Needs a transparent background? PNG (or WebP/AVIF).
- Going to edit and re-save many times? PNG, so nothing is lost along the way.
Both formats have their place — the trick is matching the format to the job, not using one for everything.