Saving an image seems simple until you reach the "Save As" dropdown. JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF—the alphabet soup of file formats can be overwhelming. Here is the definitive guide on when to use which.
JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
Best for: Photographs and realistic images with many colors.
JPG is a "lossy" format, meaning it discards some data to reduce file size. It is excellent for handling the millions of colors found in a photograph. However, it does not support transparent backgrounds, and it degrades in quality if you save it over and over again.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
Best for: Logos, icons, screenshots, and graphics requiring transparency.
PNG is "lossless." It retains every detail of the original image. This makes it perfect for text and sharp lines (like a company logo). The downside? PNG files can be very heavy, often 3x to 5x larger than a JPG equivalent.
WebP (The Modern Standard)
Best for: Almost everything on the web.
Developed by Google, WebP is the modern champion. It supports both transparency (like PNG) and high compression (like JPG). On average, a WebP file is 25-35% smaller than a comparable JPG or PNG with no visible loss in quality.
Comparison Summary
- Need transparency? Use PNG or WebP.
- Need a small file for a photo? Use WebP (or JPG).
- Need to print it? Use high-quality JPG or TIFF.
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Conclusion
For modern web usage, WebP is almost always the correct answer. It makes your site faster and saves bandwidth. Use our free tool to modernize your image library today.