Guide · Images

PNG vs JPG: which image format should you use?

They're the two most common image formats on the web, and they're built for opposite jobs. The short version: JPG for photos, PNG for graphics. Here's why — and how to pick in the cases that aren't obvious.

Compression & quality

JPG uses lossy compression: it discards detail the eye barely notices to make files small. That's perfect for photographs, where smooth gradients hide the loss — but every time you re-save a JPG it loses a little more, and hard edges (text, lines) pick up visible "halo" artifacts. PNG is lossless: it keeps every pixel exactly, so it never degrades, no matter how many times you edit and re-save.

Transparency

This is the deciding factor for a lot of work. PNG supports an alpha channel, so it can have transparent or semi-transparent areas — essential for logos, icons and anything you'll place over different backgrounds. JPG has no transparency at all; transparent areas get filled with a solid colour (usually white). If you need a see-through background, PNG is the only choice of the two.

File size

For a typical photograph, a JPG is often 5–10× smaller than the equivalent PNG — a huge win for page-load speed and email. For flat-colour graphics (screenshots of text, logos, diagrams), the tables turn: PNG compresses those crisply and can actually be smaller than a JPG, which would also blur the edges. Match the format to the content and you get both quality and size.

When to use which

• Use JPG for: photographs, complex real-world images, anything where small file size matters more than pixel-perfection.
• Use PNG for: screenshots, logos, icons, diagrams, text, line art, and anything needing a transparent background or repeated editing.

Convert either way

Got the wrong one? Convert it in seconds — files are processed privately and auto-delete after an hour:

• Convert PNG to JPG — shrink a graphic-heavy PNG for sharing (you'll lose transparency).
• Convert JPG to PNG — get a lossless copy to edit (it won't add back detail JPG already discarded).

TL;DR

Pick JPG for photos and PNG for graphics, screenshots and anything transparent. When in doubt: does it have sharp edges, text or a transparent background? That's a PNG. Is it a photo you want small? That's a JPG.