PJHTech Images

JPEG or PNG: which should you use?

Start with PNG for text, diagrams and transparent graphics. For a photo, try JPEG. Check that the app or website accepts your chosen format.

Image Starting choice Check
Screenshot with small text PNG Text remains clear at the intended size.
Photo with no transparency JPEG Detail and edges survive the chosen compression.
Logo with a transparent background PNG Edges look clean on the destination background.

Text and compression

Original test graphic with text and fine colored lines.
Source PNG
Download original file
Same graphic exported as a quality-30 JPEG.
JPEG: quality 30, 4:2:0
Download original file
Same graphic exported as a quality-90 JPEG.
JPEG: quality 90, 4:4:4
Download original file

Look for speckles around letters and blurred colored edges in the quality-30 JPEG. Both JPEG quality and color sampling differ here; this is not a quality-only comparison. Open the full-size views to see the differences.

Compare at full size

Source PNG

Original test graphic with text and fine colored lines.

JPEG: quality 30, 4:2:0

Same graphic exported as a quality-30 JPEG.

JPEG: quality 90, 4:4:4

Same graphic exported as a quality-90 JPEG.
Settings and measurements
FileDimensionsBytesExport settings
text-source.png1024 × 51222,860Optimize: True
text-jpeg-q30.jpg1024 × 51219,828Quality: 30, Subsampling: 2, Optimize: True
text-jpeg-q90.jpg1024 × 51257,293Quality: 90, Subsampling: 0, Optimize: True

Python 3.14.4, Pillow 13.0.0, Platform Linux, Webp 1.6.0, Jpeg 6.2, Avif 1.4.2

A conversion cannot undo old damage

Saving a damaged JPEG as PNG preserves the damaged pixels. It does not reconstruct detail that the earlier export removed. Return to the original when it is available.

Related guides

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