Guide
JPG is usually better for photos. PNG is usually better for sharp graphics, screenshots, and files that need transparency.
01
Use JPG for photographs, social posts, and email attachments when a smaller file matters more than perfect pixel reproduction. Use PNG for screenshots, diagrams, logos, interface elements, or any image that needs transparency. A PNG is not automatically higher quality; it is simply encoded differently and is often much larger for photographic content.
02
JPG uses lossy compression: it simplifies visual information to save space, which works well for natural gradients and photographs. Repeated JPG exports can add halos, block patterns, or softness around text. PNG uses lossless compression, so decoded pixels are preserved exactly, making it dependable for sharp edges and repeated editing.
03
PNG can store fully transparent and partially transparent pixels. JPG cannot store an alpha channel, so transparent areas must be blended with a solid color during conversion. Choose that color before exporting—white is common for documents, while a page-matched color avoids an unwanted box around a logo.
04
A photo saved as PNG may be several times larger than a visually similar JPG. For forms with strict upload limits, resize excessive dimensions first, then adjust JPG quality gradually. For screenshots, switching to JPG can make small text fuzzy, so reducing pixel dimensions or optimizing the PNG is often the better first step.
05
Changing JPG to PNG stops another lossy save, but it cannot recover detail removed by the original JPG compression. Changing PNG to JPG permanently removes transparency from that exported copy. Keep an original master file when possible and create JPG or PNG delivery copies for each destination.