10 things to know when choosing between PNG, JPG, and WebP

When it comes to website performance, image compression is a big deal. But which is the best image format: PNG, JPG, or WebP? The answer isn’t as easy as one option being better than the others. Instead, the best format for your image depends on the type of image and how you plan to use it.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the differences between PNG, JPG, and WebP and provide some guidance on when to use each format.

1. PNG is best for images with text & objects with sharp contrast

When an image has text, it’s essential that the text is easy to read. For that reason, you should use a PNG file for images with text.

This also applies to images with objects that have sharp contrast. An image with sharp contrast has a clear distinction between the subject and the background.

For example, a logo with a solid color background or an image with a solid color background would be considered an image with sharp contrast.

2. PNG is best for images with a transparent background

WebP is the only image format that supports both lossy and lossless compression. But, PNG is the best choice for lossless compression.

If you have an image with a transparent background, you’ll want to use PNG. That’s because both JPG and WebP don’t support transparent backgrounds.

If you don’t need a transparent background, you can use JPG for lossy compression or WebP for lossy or lossless compression.

3. PNG is best for screenshots & images with a lot of detail

PNG is best for detailed images and images that need to be transparent. If you have a photo with a lot of detail, PNG is the way to go.

The file type uses lossless compression, meaning the image quality is not affected by the file size. However, PNG files can be quite large, so it’s best to use them sparingly.

4. JPG is best for images with a lot of colors

While PNG is best for images with text and WebP is best for images with a lot of text, JPG is best for images with a lot of colors.

JPG is a lossy compression format, which means it’s designed to reduce the file size of an image by removing some of the image data in email. This makes it a great choice for images with a lot of colors, as it can help to reduce the file size without significantly affecting the quality of the image.

JPG is also a great choice for images with a lot of detail, as it can help to reduce the file size without significantly affecting the quality of the image.

5. JPG is best for images with no transparency

JPG is the best option if your image has a lot of colors and you want to keep the file size down.

JPG is the most common image file type, and it works well for photos and images with a lot of color detail. It uses a “lossy” compression method, which means that some of the image data is discarded to keep the file size small. This can result in a slight decrease in image quality, but it’s usually not noticeable to the human eye.

JPG does not support transparency like the PNG and WebP formats. If you need to place your image on a different colored background, you’ll need to make sure the background is part of the image file itself or use a different file type.

6. JPG is best for photographs

JPG files were designed to compress photos and images with a lot of color and detail. If you’re uploading a photograph to your website, a JPG file will help you keep the file size small without sacrificing too much quality.

However, if you’re uploading a photograph with a lot of text, logos, or flat colors, you might want to consider a PNG file.

7. WebP is better than both PNG and JPG

WebP is a relatively new file type for images that was developed by Google in 2010. It is a modern format that is designed to be a better option than both PNG and JPG files.

WebP files are often much smaller than their PNG and JPG counterparts, which can lead to faster website load times. That’s why WebP files are becoming increasingly popular, especially for website images.

WebP files can also support transparency, and they can be compressed in different ways. That means you can choose between lossless and lossy compression, giving you more control over the quality and file size of your images.

8. WebP is not supported by all browsers

WebP is a Google-developed image format, so it’s not surprising that it’s supported by Google Chrome. It’s also supported by the newer versions of Microsoft Edge, the Opera browser, and the Samsung Internet browser.

However, WebP is not supported by Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer. This means that if you use WebP images on your website, some of your users might not be able to see them.

Thankfully, there’s an easy workaround for this. You can use the “picture” element in HTML to serve WebP images to browsers that support the format, and serve JPEG or PNG images to browsers that don’t. This way, all of your users will be able to see your images, and you’ll be able to take advantage of the smaller file sizes that WebP offers.

9. WebP is not supported by all image editing software

If you’re a marketer or graphic designer, chances are you spend a lot of time in image editing software, or even use AI to edit images. And, if you’re like me, you probably have a preferred file format you use when saving images for the web.

If you’re new to WebP, you may be wondering whether or not your image editing software supports WebP file format. As of today, WebP is supported by the following image editing software:

• Adobe Photoshop (as of version 2021)

• Adobe Illustrator (as of version 2021)

• GIMP (as of version 2.10.22)

• Microsoft Paint (as of Windows 10)

• Microsoft Photos (as of Windows 10)

• IrfanView (as of version 4.54)

If you don’t see your preferred image editing software listed above, it’s a good idea to check if it supports WebP before making the switch. If your software doesn’t support WebP, you’ll have to convert your WebP images to PNG or JPG before you can edit them.

10. WebP is not supported by all CMS

WebP is not supported by all CMS, and even when it is, it can be tricky to get WebP images to display correctly. You might need a plugin or to add code to your site, which is not ideal if you’re not comfortable with coding.

In many cases, you can simply upload a WebP image to your website like you would with a PNG or JPG, and the CMS will automatically convert it to a JPG or PNG file type for you. But, if you want to take advantage of the smaller file sizes WebP offers, you might need to do some extra work.

Conclusion

In the end, you have to choose the format that best suits the type of image you’re dealing with and the purpose it will serve. If you’re not sure, experiment with each format and see how it works for you.