When deciding which photos to upload to your website, it’s important to put some thought into choosing the appropriate image file format (as well as ensuring its content is attractive enough, of course). While there are dozens of formats to choose from, PNG and JPG are most commonly used on the web.
But what are the differences between the two? How do you know you made the right decision by choosing one over the other? In this PNG vs JPG encounter, we’ll discuss each format separately so you know exactly which file type to choose by the end of the article. Topics we will cover include:
Before we dive deeper into the discussion about PNG and JPG, it’s important to distinguish between lossless and lossy compression. By understanding what both mean, it will be easier for you to tell the difference between the two most popular image file types.
The reason he wants to optimize images for the web is because in the first place save storage space, transfer files faster and avoid compromising page load speed. But does image compression inevitably affect the quality of your file? Does smaller file size necessarily mean poor image quality? Fortunately, one does not include the other.
Lossless compression is a method that reduces the size of an image, video or audio file without loss of quality. While this may seem hard to believe, it is true and possible as every audio or graphic file contains at least a very small amount of unnecessary information. Unnecessary data is removed by applying lossless compression method. Then a smaller file than the original remains, but the file quality remains unchanged. Another great thing about lossless compression is that it allows you to recover the original data whenever you want, as no important information is lost during compression.
Lossy compression, on the other hand, allows a higher compression ratio than the lossless type, but also affects both the size and quality of the image. When applied, it discards some data from the file, meaning you cannot fully recreate the original version. The result is usually a photo with some jagged edges and pixelated areas, but these changes are often not easily noticed, at least without close inspection. Every time you edit, the removed data is completely lost. But the reason this type of compression is so popular is because it can reduce file size by more than 80% and saves you quite a bit of bandwidth. And you can use it not only for visual content but also for audio files.
Now that the cornerstone has been laid and we have mastered the difference between lossy and lossless compression, we can start talking about PNG and JPG formats.
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. This type of file requires lossless compression and herein lies its biggest advantage over JPG.
PNG files support a wide variety of colors and grayscale. They work nicely with high contrast images as they don’t compress the pixels. PNGs are the perfect choice for detailed illustrations and screenshots, as the files retain their clarity.
Another great thing about this file type is, preserves transparency in both color and grayscale images. Do you know how people use a checkered background to indicate that the image is transparent? If they save the file as .JPG, the transparency will be lost and there will be a white background behind the featured graphic. PNG always preserves transparency; this is especially useful when adding a logo to your site., the format makes even elements placed behind the logo look good. Moreover, if your images have text, it’s better to stick with .PNG so as not to spoil the legibility of the letters and avoid blurry lines.
JPG is used interchangeably with JPEG and stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. Windows used to limit filename extensions to just 3 letters, so the “E” was supposed to disappear for a while and .JPG should stand out. But nowadays, both extensions are getting stronger and are used equally.
JPGs allow lossy compression by reducing the size of the file while keeping the image quality as high as possible. Websites featuring this photo format load quickly, which delights users. The JPEG algorithm scans the entire image, finds pixels that look nearly identical and have the same value, and then groups them into tiles. While this will help reduce the final size of the file, it also means that some file data will be irreversibly lost.
JPGs support numerous colors, so they are often used for complex images with lots of color tones and shading. However, since image quality degradation is inevitable, the edited file will not have as many colors as in the original version (even if users can’t even see the difference). Due to the file corruption that occurs after compression, JPG isn’t the first choice for detailed graphics, but it works great for photos.
As a general rule, the PNG file format is a better option if you need the pixels in your photos to look sharp and clear. Choose PNG if you plan to add graphics, screenshots, illustrations, charts, charts or logos to your WordPress site.
Save your images as .JPGs as they overflow with colors, gradients, shadows and textures. Also, if you intend to share your image files on social networks, the JPG format will be supported regardless of the platform as it is pretty much a standard for compatibility. As we mentioned, this type of file loads pretty fast, so if you run an online store for example, JPGs will ensure that there are no lags and pages full of products will load quickly.
There are cases where using both formats is a good thing. For example, if you took a nature photo with some text added, it would be best to go for two bitmap files. Since the background needs to be transparent, you should use JPG for the landscape and PNG for the featured text.
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Optimizing images for the web does not require any special skills. You don’t even need to know how to use the editing software. The easiest way to do this is to install a WordPress image compression plugin and effortlessly compress the files in a format that best suits your needs. And who takes the crown in the PNG vs JPG game? Well, the final result depends. There are no clear winners and one format is no better than the other.. It all depends on what kind of content you want to add to your website and how fast you want your site to load. PNG is a better choice if you want to add high-quality, complex graphics. If the loading speed of the website is very important and you plan to decorate your pages with attractive images, then you should choose JPG.
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