Each format is good at one job. Match the format to the picture and both quality and file size take care of themselves.
Quick guide
- JPG — photographs. Small files, no transparency. Avoid for text and sharp edges.
- PNG — screenshots, logos, anything with transparency or crisp lines. Lossless, but large for photos.
- WebP — the web all-rounder. Photo-quality like JPG or sharp like PNG, at a smaller size. Supported by every current browser.
Rules of thumb
- A photo saved as PNG is usually 3–5x bigger than it needs to be — convert it to JPG.
- For a website, convert JPGs to WebP to cut page weight with no visible loss.
- Keep PNG only when you need a transparent background.
