When you export a PDF page as an image, you'll usually be asked to choose between JPG and PNG. They look similar in the menu, but under the hood they behave very differently — and picking the wrong one leaves you with blurry text or needlessly huge files. Here's how to choose with confidence every time.
The one-line summary
Use JPG for photographs and smaller files. Use PNG for text, screenshots, line art, and anything that needs transparency. Everything below is the reasoning behind that rule, with real examples you'll recognise.
How the two formats compress
JPG uses lossy compression: it permanently discards detail your eye is unlikely to miss, which makes files small but can blur sharp edges and add halos around text. PNG uses lossless compression: nothing is thrown away, so edges stay perfectly crisp — but the files are larger, especially for photographs with millions of subtle colours.
That single difference — lossy versus lossless — drives every other trade-off between them.
Side-by-side comparison
- Text & sharp edges: PNG wins clearly. JPG adds visible halos around letters.
- Photographs: JPG wins. It compresses smooth gradients efficiently with no visible loss.
- File size: JPG is typically 3–10× smaller than PNG for the same page.
- Transparency: Only PNG supports it. JPG always fills the background with a solid colour.
- Re-saving repeatedly: PNG is safe to edit and re-save; JPG degrades a little each time it's re-compressed.
- Colours: PNG handles flat, solid colours (logos, charts) with zero artifacts; JPG can smear them.
Why text looks bad in JPG
JPEG compression works by grouping pixels into blocks and simplifying each block. That's invisible on a photo of a sunset, but text is full of high-contrast edges — black letters on white — which is exactly what the algorithm struggles with. The result is the faint grey "mosquito noise" you sometimes see around words in a low-quality JPG. PNG keeps every pixel exactly as rendered, so letters stay knife-sharp.
Real-world examples
A scanned contract you'll email: PNG if legibility is critical; JPG at 90% if size matters more.
A page that's mostly a photograph: JPG, every time — PNG would balloon the file for no visible gain.
A logo, chart, or diagram on a coloured background: PNG, for the transparency and clean edges.
A long report you want to share as images: JPG at 150 DPI keeps the bundle small and readable.
A screenshot of an app or spreadsheet: PNG — screenshots are full of crisp text and lines.
What about quality settings?
For either format, resolution still matters most. Render at 150 DPI for screen and 300 DPI for print. With JPG you also choose a quality level — keep it at 85–95%. PNG has no quality slider because it's lossless; its only lever is resolution. For a deeper dive into sharpness, see how to convert PDF to JPG without losing quality.
Tip: Not sure? Export one page both ways and compare at 100% zoom. The right choice is usually obvious in seconds — and the file-size difference tells you the cost.
How to convert either way
- Open the converter and drop in your PDF.
- Choose PDF to JPG for small files, or PDF to PNG for maximum sharpness and transparency.
- Set the resolution (150 DPI for screen, 300 DPI for print) and convert.
- Download your images individually or as a ZIP.
Both conversions happen locally in your browser, so your files never leave your device — important for anything confidential.
Can I switch formats later?
You can convert a JPG to PNG or a PNG to JPG afterwards, but it won't undo earlier losses — converting a blurry JPG to PNG just preserves the blur in a bigger file. Always start from the format you ultimately need, at the right resolution.
A quick word on WebP
You may also see WebP offered elsewhere. It can beat both JPG and PNG on size, but support is still patchy in older software and some print workflows, so JPG and PNG remain the safe, universal choices for sharing documents today.
A quick decision checklist
When you're in a hurry, run through these questions and the answer falls out:
- Does the page have lots of text or sharp lines? Choose PNG.
- Is it mostly a photograph? Choose JPG.
- Do you need a transparent background? PNG is the only option.
- Is small file size the priority (email, web, many pages)? JPG.
- Will you edit and re-save it repeatedly? PNG, so it never degrades.
- Will it be printed at high resolution? Either works — just render at 300 DPI.
If two answers conflict — say, a sharp document you also need small — export both and keep whichever looks acceptable at the smaller size. It only takes a moment and removes the guesswork for good.
Frequently asked questions
Is PNG always higher quality than JPG?
For text and sharp graphics, yes. For photographs the visible difference is tiny while PNG files are far larger.
Can I convert JPG to PNG later?
You can, but it won't restore detail JPG already discarded. Choose the right format up front.
Which format is best for the web?
JPG for photos (fast loading), PNG for logos, icons and anything needing transparency.
Does PNG support multiple pages?
No — like JPG, each page becomes a separate image file. To keep pages together in one file, convert them back into a PDF.
Why is my PNG so large?
PNG is lossless, so detailed or photographic pages produce big files. If size matters and the page is a photo, use JPG instead.
