Glossary / JPEG vs PNG
JPEG vs PNG, Which Format to Use?
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) uses lossy compression optimized for photographs and complex color images. PNG (Portable Network Graphics) uses lossless compression ideal for graphics, text, screenshots, and images that need transparency. Choose JPEG for smaller photo files, PNG when quality and transparency matter.
Key differences
- Compression: JPEG is lossy (data is permanently discarded); PNG is lossless (original data is preserved exactly).
- Transparency: PNG supports alpha transparency; JPEG does not.
- File size: JPEG files are typically much smaller for photographs; PNG files are smaller for simple graphics with flat colors.
- Quality degradation: Re-saving a JPEG causes cumulative quality loss; PNG can be saved repeatedly without degradation.
When to use each
Use JPEG for photos, scanned documents, and images where small file size is more important than pixel-perfect quality. Use PNG for logos, diagrams, screenshots, text-heavy images, and anything requiring transparency. For web use, also consider WebP, which offers better compression than both formats.
Related tools on fixtdoc
- Images to PDF , convert JPEG and PNG images into a PDF
- PDF to Images , export PDF pages as PNG or JPEG
- Compress Image , reduce JPEG or PNG file size