PNG vs JPG: Which Image Format Should You Choose?

I am frequently asked this question all often: "Should I save this as PNG or JPG?" In truth the answer may not be clear. After many years of working with images, I've realized that choosing the wrong format could either increase your files' sizes or cause your images to look like they came from an ice cream maker.

The Quick Answer (Are You in a Rush?)

Have You Taken Photos on Your Camera or Phone Before? For snapping photos in a hurry, you can Use JPG For text-rich logo screen shots, PNG can offer greater flexibility as it provides subtle backgrounds.

Let's get in the details for anyone who want to find out more.

What's Actually Going On With PNG

PNG can be described as a brief format in the form of Portable Network Graphics, but it's crucial to remember that it does not erase any information while compression of your images. Each and every pixel is exactly as you intended.

And What About JPG?

JPG (some people write JPEG - same thing) takes a different approach. It looks at your image and says "some of these details are so subtle that humans won't notice if I remove them." That's how it makes files so much smaller. For photos with millions of colors and gradual transitions, this works surprisingly well.

When I Actually Use PNG

Here's my personal rule: if the image has any of these, I reach for PNG without thinking twice:

• Your company logo: Those crisp edges matter, and you might need it on different colored backgrounds
• Screenshots for documentation: JPG makes text look like it's been smeared with vaseline
• Graphics with flat colors: Think icons, diagrams, or anything you made in Illustrator
• Anything that needs transparency: Product photos with no background, overlays, that kind of thing
• Your master files: Before you start editing, always keep a PNG original

When JPG Makes More Sense

• Every photo you take: Seriously, your vacation pics don't need to be 25MB each
• Website background images: Page speed affects everything from SEO to user patience
• Product photos (with backgrounds): E-commerce sites would crash if every product image was a PNG
• Sending images via email: Nobody wants to download a 50MB attachment
• Social media posts: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter - they all convert to JPG anyway, so why fight it?

Let's Talk Real Numbers

I ran a test using an unrelated picture that was that my camera took (5000 pixels 3000 pixels). Here's what happened:

• Saved as PNG: 22 MB (yikes)
• Saved as JPG at 90% quality: 3.2 MB (looking good there is barely any differences)
• File saved as JPG with 80% quality: 1.8 MB (still looks great to me)
• File saved in JPG at 60 percent quality 890KB (okay but now I can detect some artifacts when I zoom into)

For most websites, that 80% quality JPG is the sweet spot. You get a file that's 12x smaller and looks virtually identical to the original.

The Conversion Process

Switching between formats is pretty straightforward with our tool:

The whole thing happens in your browser, so your images never get uploaded to some random server. Kind of important if you're working with anything sensitive.

Mistakes I've Seen People Make

• Saving the JPG and editing it and then saving it as a JPG repeatedly: Every save is more difficult. If you want edit, convert the file into PNG first, make the edits and convert into JPG at the close.
• If you use PNG for every single image will cause your website to be slower to load when compared to dial-up.
• Do not keep the original files: Always back up your original files. You can create an JPG from a PNG but you're not able to recreate the same quality going in the opposite direction.
• We're not ignoring WebP: It's not 2015. WebP provides smaller files than PNG as well as JPG with superior quality. Consider WebP for your web usage.

Bottom Line

Don't overthink this:

• Photos = JPG
• Graphics, logos, screenshots = PNG
• Need transparency = PNG (you don't have a choice)
• Website performance is critical = consider WebP

This is all there is to it. Once you've got the hang that you've mastered it, then be able to select the correct format without contemplating it.

Related Stuff

If you want to dive deeper into image formats:

• What's the Deal with WebP? - WebP is the newer format could take over both PNG and JPG at some point
• Image Converter Tool - Convert between PNG JPG, WebP, and other formats
• PDF Tools - Sometimes you need to combine images into a PDF
• More Articles - Other guides on file formats and conversion