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JPG vs PNG vs WebP

JPG, PNG and WebP are the three formats you meet most often, and each is best for something different. Here is when to use which, without the jargon.

JPG: best for photos

JPG (or JPEG) uses lossy compression that is ideal for photographs, where a tiny quality drop is invisible but saves a lot of space. It does not support transparency. Use JPG for camera photos and most images you email or upload.

PNG: best for graphics and transparency

PNG is lossless and supports transparent backgrounds, which makes it right for logos, icons, screenshots and graphics with sharp edges or text. The trade-off is larger files, so PNG is not ideal for photos.

WebP: smallest for the web

WebP is a modern format that gives smaller files than both JPG and PNG at similar quality, and it supports transparency. It is well supported in browsers, so it is great for websites, though a few older programs still cannot open it.

Quick rule of thumb

Photo, use JPG. Logo or transparency, use PNG. Smallest possible for the web, use WebP. You can convert and compress between them in the image compressor.

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