JPG, PNG, or PDF: choosing the right format for images

JPG, PNG, and PDF are often treated as interchangeable image containers. They are not. Each one is optimized for a different job, and choosing the wrong one can make a file larger, blurrier, or harder to share.

JPG: photos and small files

JPG uses lossy compression. It discards some color detail to keep the file small. That is a good trade for photographs, where the eye is forgiving, and a bad trade for sharp text and line art.

Use JPG when:

• You are sharing a photo.
• File size matters more than perfect edges.
• You do not need transparency.
• The image will be viewed on a screen.

Avoid JPG for screenshots, logos, and documents with small text. The compression artifacts become visible around letters and lines.

PNG: screenshots, logos, and transparency

PNG is lossless. It keeps sharp edges and supports transparency, which makes it the better choice for screenshots, interface mockups, logos, and images that need a clean background.

Use PNG when:

• The image contains text or fine lines.
• You need a transparent background.
• You want to avoid compression artifacts.
• The file size is acceptable.

PNG files are often larger than JPG, especially for photographs. That is the cost of preserving detail.

PDF: a finished page

PDF is not an image format in the same sense. It is a page description format. It can contain text, vector shapes, images, and multiple pages. That makes it the right choice when the image is part of a document that needs to be shared or printed.

Use PDF when:

• You need a multi-page document.
• The layout must stay fixed.
• You are sending a scan, invoice, receipt, or portfolio.
• You want a single file with a predictable page size.

You can convert a JPG, PNG, or JPEG image to PDF on this site. The image becomes page content, not editable text.

A simple rule

• Photo for the web: JPG.
• Logo, screenshot, or transparency: PNG.
• Finished document or print-ready page: PDF.

If you are unsure, keep the original and export a copy. Converting a JPG to PNG will not recover detail that was already lost. Converting a PNG to JPG can reduce the file size, but it can also introduce artifacts around text.

Browse the image and file tools to see what is enabled on this server, or read the format guide for limits.