A little know-how

JPEG, PNG or WebP? Pick the right fit.

A practical guide to choosing an image format for photos, transparent graphics and everyday browser sharing.

By KeepSimp 10 October 20264 min read

Sage paper folders and a glass padlock on a warm tabletop

An image format is a choice about what the file needs to do. A photograph, a transparent logo and a screenshot have different needs. You do not need a favorite format for everything; you need one that fits the destination and the kind of image you have.

A quick way to choose.

For a photograph that must work with a wide range of apps, try JPEG. For a graphic that needs transparency or lossless export, try PNG. For browser use where the destination accepts it, compare a WebP export. The best choice depends on the actual result and the receiving app.

Before converting, check the accepted formats of the site, editor or person receiving your file. A small file is not useful if the destination cannot open it. Keep the source so you can export another version without starting over.

JPEG: a familiar choice for photographs.

JPEG uses lossy compression, and it does not support transparent pixels. It is a practical choice for photographic scenes when a solid background is acceptable. In KeepSimp, transparent areas take the background you choose (white, black or a custom colour) when you convert to JPEG.

Choose a quality in the image converter, then inspect the before and after preview and your export. Fine lines and lettering can reveal changes more readily than natural textures, so a format suitable for a photograph may be a poor fit for a small diagram.

PNG: preserve crisp graphics and transparency.

PNG supports lossless compression and transparency. It is useful for interface graphics, diagrams and images whose sharp edges matter. In KeepSimp, choose Lossless to keep every pixel of a PNG; the other quality choices may reduce it to a smaller colour palette.

Lossless output does not mean every part of the original file is retained. KeepSimp encodes a new file, which removes metadata and converts colors to sRGB. Resizing changes pixel data as well. Preserve the original when those properties matter.

WebP: compare it for browser delivery.

WebP supports transparency and both lossy and lossless encoding. KeepSimp encodes WebP with its own copy of the libwebp encoder, so the result does not depend on your browser. File sizes vary by image; compare an actual output rather than assuming a fixed percentage saving.

Add your images, select WebP and choose a quality. Compare formats encodes the selected image as JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and JPEG XL and lists the real sizes, smallest first. You can also save several formats at once, with picture HTML that keeps JPEG or PNG as a fallback.

Make a small, useful comparison.

Try two formats at the same dimensions. Open both downloads, compare their visual quality, and check each file's size. Keep the version that your destination accepts and that looks right for its intended use.

Do not convert a lossy image to PNG expecting lost detail to return. A format change cannot restore information already removed. Choose a workflow around what you have now, and store the best source for future edits.

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