Wondering whether and how to convert your PNG files into JPEGs? As your resident graphics expert, I‘ve put together this in-depth guide to walk you through everything you need to know.
In this 4000+ word article, we‘ll cover:
- Key differences between the PNG and JPEG formats
- When to choose one vs the other
- A side-by-side comparison table
- Step-by-step instructions for converting files
- The pros and cons of converting to JPEG
- Extra optimization tips for images
- Answers to frequently asked questions
And plenty more! Let‘s get started…
An Overview of PNGs, JPEGs and Why Conversion is Useful
First, what even are PNG and JPEG files?
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a high-quality, lossless image format designed for graphics and images with solid colors, sharp text and transparency/translucency. It preserves all image data for flawless accuracy.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) uses advanced compression techniques optimized for digital photographs and web images. It removes details that are less perceptible to achieve much smaller file sizes.
Converting PNGs to JPEGs allows you to significantly reduce image file sizes with minimal quality loss. This means:
- Faster loading web graphics and photos
- Using less storage space on phones, laptops and servers
- Reduced bandwidth costs for image-heavy websites and apps
The tradeoff is that JPEGs have artifacts from lossy compression and don‘t support transparency. We‘ll explore how to get the best results later on.
Now let‘s do a deeper comparison…
PNGs vs JPEGs: Key Technical Differences Compared
While both formats are used for digital images, PNG and JPEG have important technical differences under the hood:
| Comparison Factor | PNG | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Uses lossless data compression so no detail is lost | Relies on lossy compression that removes detail to achieve smaller sizes |
| Transparency | Supports partial transparency (alpha channels) | Limited to fully opaque or fully transparent pixels only |
| Color Depth | Supports 48-bit color (16+ million colors) | Limited to 24-bit (16 million colors) |
| Color Palette | Can reproduce a wider range of colors | Restricted color space leads to banding artifacts |
| File Size | due to lossless data compression, file sizes tend to be larger | Extremely small file sizes are possible with high JPEG compression |
| Lossy Editing | Repeated saves don‘t lose quality over time | Successive edits & saves cause generation loss |
| Best Use Cases | Logos, text, graphs, clipart with flat colors | Digital photos, web images like banner ads |
Looking at this comparison shows the advantages and downsides of relying on the different compression methods used…
PNG preserves all the original data which is better for graphics quality, while JPEG remove details that are less noticeable to achieve ridiculously tiny file sizes.
Understanding these technical caps helps guide when to use each format. So let‘s talk through some recommendations…
Recommended Use Cases: When to Choose PNG vs JPEG
With an understanding how they differ under the hood, we can tailor the format choice to the use case:
Use PNG For:
- Logos, icons and illustrations with few solid colors
- Images with text and sharp contrast edges where quality is key
- Files requiring transparency or translucency
- Retaining as much color accuracy as possible
- Diagrams, charts and graphs with flat colors
- Archives where you‘ll re-edit and re-save the images
Use JPEG For:
- Digital photographs with subtle color gradients
- Web images and banner ads where small file size matters
- Photo-heavy email newsletters to allow faster downloads
- Print materials with a limited color gamut anyway
- Anywhere file size is far more critical than lossless quality
This covers some of the most common use cases, but there can be niche scenarios where one format clearly makes more sense than the other.
Now let‘s get you set up with some easy ways to actually convert those files…
Step-by-Step Guide to Converting PNGs to High-Quality JPEGs
You have a smorgasbord of options for converting your PNG files to JPEGs—let me walk you through some of the most popular methods:
Using GIMP (Recommended)
My personal favorite is using the free, open-source image editor GIMP. It‘s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs and has a huge array of pro-level functionality.
To convert a PNG in GIMP:
- Download GIMP if you don‘t have it already installed. Open the application.
- Go to the top File menu and choose Open. Select the PNG file you want to convert.
- With the PNG image open, return to the File menu and this time pick Export As.
- In the export dialog box, change the file format dropdown to "JPEG".
- Click the Export button. This will allow you to tweak the JPEG compression quality.
- Adjust quality slider based on your preference for file size vs quality. Click export again to save.
I like using GIMP because you can tweak the JPEG compression level slider to find the sweet spot between high visual quality and ultra small file size.
GIMP makes it just as easy to batch process and convert a folder of PNG images all at once.
Changing the File Extension
If you don‘t want to install any additional software, re-naming the file to change the extension .png → .jpg or .jpeg is surprisingly effective:
On Windows
- In File Explorer, right click the PNG file and choose Rename
- Change the
.pngat the end to either.jpegor.jpg - Press Enter to save the change
On Mac
- Single click the PNG file icon to highlight it
- Go to File > Get Info
- Under "Name & Extension" replace
.pngwith.jpg - Click the close button to apply the file extension change
This quick shortcut tells your computer "Hey treat this as a JPEG now!" and handles the conversion automatically.
Using Preview on Mac
Mac users also have the built-in Preview app which can export files in other formats:
- Right-click the PNG file and select Open With > Preview
- At the top of Preview go to File > Export…
- In the export dialog box change file format to JPEG
- Select desired location and click Save to finish
With Microsoft Paint
Believe it or not, the classic Paint program in Windows 10 provides basic image conversion too:
- Open Paint and go to File > Open, choosing your PNG
- With the image open, go to File > Save As
- In the save dialog box, change the Save as type dropdown to JPEG Picture
- Leave the default name or change if desired, click Save
While very basic, Paint can get the job done in a pinch. But I‘d probably recommend one of the other options if you‘re doing batch conversions.
Using Online Converters
If going the software route sounds like too much work, there are dozens of handy online converters available:
These sites make PNG to JPEG conversion as easy as uploading your file and downloading the result. Some also provide browser extensions, mobile apps and API integration.
I keep a couple bookmarked just in case I ever need to access a file conversion tool away from my main device.
Using Browser Extensions
In addition to web apps, there are browser extensions that allow PNG to JPEG conversion right within Chrome or Firefox:
- Bulk Image Converter (Chrome): Drag & drop to batch convert PNGs while browsing
- Image Converter (Chrome): Right click any PNG on a web page and export as JPEG
- Convert Image (Firefox): Queue up groups of images to convert
These can be super handy for quickly snagging web images.
Using Adobe Photoshop
And of course, premium tools like Adobe Photoshop provide robust conversion capabilities as well:
- Open the PNG file in Photoshop
- Go to File > Export > Export As
- Change the file format to JPEG
- Adjust options like quality level and resolution
- Select desired location and hit Save
I wanted to provide a full spectrum of options ranging from free to paid software. Test out a few to find which PNG to JPEG converter you like working with best!
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Converting to JPEG
Before you go PNG deleting and replacing all your files, let‘s analyze a few of the key pros and cons with JPEG conversion specifically:
Pros
⚬ Drastically smaller file sizes compared to PNG
⚬ Much faster loading web images and graphics
⚬ Better email newsletter performance with less bandwidth
⚬ JPEG supported by more web apps than PNG
⚬ Usually works fine for digital photographs
Cons
⚬ Loss of quality and detail from JPEG compression
⚬ No transparency support
⚬ Color banding artifacts can occur
⚬ Repeated saves degrade quality over time
⚬ Not the best for flat graphics or logos
In many use cases, the file size and web compatibility benefits outweigh the minor quality impacts…but not always.
Let your unique needs around image quality, file size, and display medium guide whether JPEG conversion makes sense.
When Should You Keep Images as PNG Instead?
While JPEGs work great for photos, there are certainly cases when PNG is the better format choice:
Stick with PNG for:
⚬ Graphics, logos and illustrations with few solid colors
⚬ Images with text or very sharp contrast edges
⚬ Anything requiring transparency or translucency
⚬ Financial charts, graphs or diagrams
⚬ Scientific images capturing subtle gradients
⚬ Archival images you‘ll edit & re-save repeatedly
For any images requiring lossless quality, PNG is still the gold standard. Its uncompressed nature preserves every detail in flawless form.
Extra Tips for Optimizing & Compressing Images
Besides only switching formats, here are some additional tips for minimizing file size:
📐Resize overly large images to match target display dimensions
📏Crop images tightly around key focus areas
⚙️Use optimization tools like TinyPNG to further compress artifacts
💨Enable CDN caching and content delivery networks to distribute images globally
Taking a few minutes to optimize can drastically improve page load speeds and lower bandwidth costs. It makes the web snappier for your visitors.
I‘d recommend resizing, cropping, optimizing JPEG and/or converting relevant images from PNG to JPEG for a layered compressions approach.
Every kilobyte you shave off makes a difference!
Frequently Asked Questions about PNGs and JPEGs
Here I‘ll preemptively answer some of the most common questions around working with PNGs and JPEGs:
Should I convert all my PNG files over to JPEG?
I would avoid any bulk batch conversion without reviewing on a file-by-file basis. Evaluate each image based on your quality standards vs file size needs. Generic mass conversion may degrade key graphics.
Will a converted JPEG look noticeably different from the PNG original?
It depends! On digital photographs you may spot no difference at all. But logos/graphics with sharp edges will lose subtle fidelity and gradients can get color banding. Always check the results.
What about other formats like GIF, TIFF, HEIF, AVIF or WebP?
Great question! While outside the scope here, those formats have different tradeoff too…I actually have a full guide comparing image formats you may find helpful.
Is there any consequence to repeatedly opening and saving JPEGs?
Yes, each successive save causes "generation loss" from the math of recompressing the lossy JPEG algorithm. So for archival purposes, stick with PNG!
What compression level should I choose when exporting JPEGs?
I recommend experimenting! Compare the visual quality loss vs file size reduction at levels 50%, 80%, 90%. Let your quality standards and performance needs guide what level makes sense.
Have any other questions? Get in touch and I‘m happy to chat more!
Conclusion
Phew, we covered a ton of ground here!
To wrap up, you should now have:
🧠 A deep understanding of how PNG & JPEG formats differ technically
📁 Confidence in picking the right image format for specific use cases
🛠️ Step-by-step skills for actively converting files between formats
🔎 Knowledge of additional image optimization best practices
👨💻 Perspective as a graphics professional on getting the most out of images
Converting relevant PNGs to JPEGs can help accelerate load times and lower data costs. But keep using lossless PNG wherever quality matters most.
Please let me know if any part of image conversion or optimization remains fuzzy! I have a bit of a passion for graphics tech and best practices.
Keep in touch, and happy file converting!
