Why convert PNG to JPG
PNG keeps every pixel exactly as stored and supports transparency, which makes it great for graphics but heavy for photographs. JPG uses lossy compression, so it throws away some detail to shrink the file. A phone photo saved as PNG is often 2-5 MB; the same photo as a JPG at quality 85 is frequently a few hundred kilobytes. That difference matters for email attachments, upload limits, and page load times.
What happens to transparency
JPG has no transparency channel. Any fully or partly transparent pixel becomes white when the file is converted. If your PNG has a logo on a transparent background, the result is that logo sitting on a white square. If you need the transparent background to survive, keep the PNG or export to WebP instead.
Semi-transparent edges, such as a soft drop shadow or an anti-aliased curve, are blended against white. On a light page this usually looks fine; on a dark background you will see a pale fringe.
Choosing a quality setting
| Content | Suggested quality | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Photos, portraits, landscapes | 80-85 | Small files, differences hard to spot at normal size |
| Detailed photos, product shots | 88-92 | Larger files, safer for close inspection |
| Screenshots, UI, text | Keep PNG | JPG adds fuzzy edges around letters |
| Flat-color graphics, logos | Keep PNG or use WebP | JPG introduces blotchy patches near edges |
Quality is a trade-off, not a free lunch. Every JPG save discards some data, and re-saving the same JPG repeatedly compounds that. Convert once from the original PNG and keep that PNG as your master copy.
When to keep the PNG
PNG wins whenever sharp edges and exact colors matter more than size:
- Logos and icons with transparent or flat backgrounds.
- Screenshots of text, code, or interfaces, where JPG smears letter edges.
- Line art, charts, and diagrams with hard boundaries between few colors.
- Images you will edit again, since repeated JPG saves degrade the file.
A rough rule: if the image is a photograph or a scan with smooth gradients, JPG is usually the better format. If it is built from text, lines, or flat shapes, PNG usually looks better and may not even be much larger.
How the conversion works here
Pick your PNG, set the quality, and convert. The image is decoded and re-encoded in your browser using the canvas API, then handed back to you as a download. Nothing is sent to a server, so there is no upload wait and no copy of your file stored anywhere. That also means it keeps working if your connection drops after the page has loaded.
If the result is larger than expected, lower the quality a step or two and convert again from the original PNG, not from the JPG you just made. If the result looks soft around fine detail, raise the quality. For batches, convert each file the same way; the settings stay put between runs.
After converting
Check the file size and open the JPG once at full size before you send or publish it. Look at edges, text, and any area that was transparent in the original. If something looks wrong, go back to the PNG and try a different quality value. Keep the PNG as your source so you can always produce a fresh JPG later.
Questions
Does converting PNG to JPG lose quality?
Yes. JPG is a lossy format, so some image data is discarded during conversion. At quality 80-85 the difference is usually hard to see in a photograph, but text and sharp edges can look softer.
What happens to the transparent background?
JPG does not support transparency, so transparent areas become white. If you need to keep a transparent background, keep the PNG or convert to WebP instead.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored.
Why is my JPG sometimes bigger than the PNG?
That happens with flat-color graphics, logos, and screenshots, where PNG compresses very efficiently and JPG does not. In those cases the PNG is already the smaller and sharper choice.