PNG vs JPG: When to Use Each Image Format

The Great Format Debate

PNG and JPG are the two most common image formats, but they serve different purposes. Choosing the wrong format can result in massive file sizes or degraded quality.

Quick Decision Guide

Use JPG for:

• Photographs
• Complex images with many colors
• Social media posts
• Web backgrounds

Use PNG for:

• Logos and graphics
• Screenshots
• Images needing transparency
• Text-heavy images

Understanding the Formats

JPG (JPEG)

JPG uses lossy compression, meaning some image data is permanently discarded to reduce file size.

Strengths:

• Excellent for photographs
• Small file sizes
• Universal support
• Adjustable quality levels

Weaknesses:

• No transparency support
• Quality degrades with each save
• Visible artifacts on sharp edges
• Bad for text and logos

PNG

PNG uses lossless compression, preserving all image data.

Strengths:

• Perfect quality preservation
• Transparency support (alpha channel)
• Great for graphics and text
• No degradation on re-saves

Weaknesses:

• Larger file sizes for photos
• No animation support (use APNG)
• Overkill for simple photographs

Visual Comparison

Photographs

A 1920x1080 photograph:

• JPG (quality 85%): ~300KB
• PNG: ~2.5MB

Winner: JPG - 8x smaller with negligible quality difference

Logo with Transparency

A simple logo:

• JPG: No transparency, white background required
• PNG: Clean transparency, 50KB

Winner: PNG - Only option for transparency

Screenshot with Text

A desktop screenshot:

• JPG (quality 90%): ~400KB with fuzzy text
• PNG: ~200KB with crisp text

Winner: PNG - Smaller AND sharper

Compression Quality Comparison

JPG Quality Levels

| Quality | File Size | Use Case | |---------|-----------|----------| | 100% | Large | Printing | | 85-95% | Medium | High-quality web | | 70-85% | Small | General web use | | 50-70% | Tiny | Thumbnails |

PNG Compression

PNG compression is lossless, so quality doesn't change—only encoding efficiency varies:

| Compression | Speed | File Size | |-------------|-------|-----------| | None | Instant | Largest | | Default | Fast | Standard | | Maximum | Slow | Smallest |

Modern Alternatives

WebP

Google's format combines the best of both:

• Lossy AND lossless modes
• Smaller than JPG and PNG
• Transparency support
• 90%+ browser support

AVIF

The newest format with superior compression:

• 50% smaller than JPG
• HDR support
• Growing browser support

Format Selection Flowchart

1. Does the image need transparency?

   • Yes → PNG or WebP
   • No → Continue

2. Is it a photograph or complex image?

   • Yes → JPG or WebP
   • No → Continue

3. Does it contain text or sharp edges?

   • Yes → PNG
   • No → JPG

4. Is file size critical?

   • Yes → WebP (with fallback)
   • No → Use format from above

Conversion Tips

JPG to PNG

• No quality loss (already lossy)
• File size will increase
• Won't add transparency

PNG to JPG

• Potential quality loss
• Transparency becomes solid color
• Significant size reduction

Either to WebP

• Best of both worlds
• 25-35% smaller files
• Provide fallback for old browsers

Optimization Best Practices

For JPG

1. Start with quality 85%
2. Reduce until artifacts appear
3. Use progressive loading for web
4. Strip metadata to save bytes

For PNG

1. Use 8-bit color when possible
2. Remove unnecessary metadata
3. Use tools like TinyPNG
4. Consider indexed color for simple graphics

Conclusion

There's no universally "better" format—each has its place:

• Photos: JPG at 80-90% quality
• Graphics/Logos: PNG-8 or PNG-24
• Modern web: WebP with fallbacks
• Future-proof: Consider AVIF

Use our converter to quickly switch between formats and find the optimal balance of quality and file size for your needs.