Choose a format for the content
JPG is a common choice for photos and broadly compatible uploads. Its compression can reduce file size, but it can introduce visible artifacts and it does not support transparency.
PNG is useful for graphics, screenshots and images with transparency. It uses lossless compression for its pixel data, but complex photos can produce larger files. WebP supports efficient compression and can represent transparency; support varies by application and workflow.
Common conversion choices
- For a photo rejected by a service, try WebP to JPG or PNG to JPG.
- For a graphic that needs transparent areas, choose WebP to PNG or a PNG source.
- For web images where compatibility allows it, compare JPG to WebP and PNG to WebP outputs.
- Always inspect sharp edges, text and gradients after recompression.
What converting cannot repair
Saving an already compressed JPG as PNG does not bring back details lost during JPG compression. Likewise, enlarging a small image does not create real new detail. Format conversion changes the encoding, not the quality of the original source.
Animated files, color profiles and metadata can behave differently. Check whether the destination accepts animated content or requires a specific frame.
Pick by destination, not by fashion
For a marketplace product image, choose the format explicitly required by the marketplace and then review the exported dimensions. For website graphics, compare quality and file size rather than assuming one format always wins. For a logo with a transparent background, PNG or an authorized SVG asset may be more suitable than JPG.
If a conversion produces a noticeably blurry image, begin again from the highest-quality source you have. Repeated format conversions cannot improve a low-resolution original.