PNG vs JPG: When to Use Each Image Format

The Core Difference

JPG (JPEG): Lossy compression. Smaller files. No transparency. Best for photographs and complex color images.

PNG: Lossless compression. Larger files. Supports transparency. Best for graphics, text, illustrations, and logos.

When to Use JPG

Photographs: A 4000x3000 photo at JPG quality 85 might be 2MB. The same image as PNG would be 12MB. For photos, JPG is almost always correct.

Hero images and banners: Website backgrounds, hero sections, complex lifestyle photos — all JPG.

Social media photos: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter optimise JPG well.

Product photos without transparent backgrounds: E-commerce product images on white backgrounds are JPG.

When to Use PNG

Logos and brand assets: Need to be placed on different colored backgrounds. Transparency (alpha channel) keeps edges clean.

Screenshots with text: Screenshots of UIs, code, documents — sharp text stays crisp in PNG, blurs in JPG.

Illustrations and graphics: Flat color graphics and digital art look cleaner in PNG.

Images with text overlay: When text is part of the image, PNG prevents the blurry artifacts JPG creates around text.

Background-removed product images: Transparent PNG backgrounds let products float on any background color.

File Size Reality Check

A 1080x1080 graphic with text: PNG ≈ 400KB, JPG quality 90 ≈ 120KB

A 1080x1080 photograph: PNG ≈ 4MB, JPG quality 85 ≈ 300KB

For photos, JPG is 10x smaller. For graphics, the gap is smaller, and transparency needs may dictate PNG.

WebP: The Best of Both

WebP (Google's format) supports both lossy and lossless compression, plus transparency. 25-35% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality. Supported by all modern browsers. Use WebP for all new web projects.