How to Convert PNG to JPG: Smaller Photos That Work Everywhere

Someone sent you a photo as PNG. It's 8 MB. You need to email it, but your email provider caps attachments at 5 MB. Or you need to upload it to a platform that only takes JPG. Or you just want the file to be smaller.

PNG is the wrong format for photographs. JPG was built for this job. Converting PNG photos to JPG typically cuts the file size by 80-90%. Same photo. Fraction of the storage.

Here's everything you need to know about making the switch.

Why Are PNG Photos So Much Larger Than JPG?

It comes down to how each format handles compression.

PNG uses lossless compression. It keeps every single pixel exactly as it is. Nothing is thrown away. Nothing is simplified. The file stores a perfect copy of the image, bit for bit.

This is great when you need pixel-perfect accuracy. Logos, screenshots, and graphics with text all benefit from this precision. But for photos? It's massive overkill.

A photograph has millions of subtle color variations. Slight changes in sky color. Gradual shifts in skin tone. Tiny differences in shadow areas. PNG faithfully stores all of these variations, even though your eyes can't tell the difference between many of them.

JPG takes a smarter approach for photos. It groups similar colors together and says "close enough." A patch of sky that has 50 slightly different blues gets simplified to 10 blues. Your eye sees the same sky. But the file is 80% smaller.

That's why a photo at 4000 x 3000 pixels might be 15 MB as PNG and only 1.5 MB as JPG at 85% quality. Same photo. Same visual impact. 90% less storage.

When Should You Convert PNG to JPG?

The decision is simple. Ask two questions:

Is it a photograph? If yes, convert to JPG. Photos are JPG's sweet spot. Nature shots, portraits, product photos, food photos, travel photos. All of these should be JPG (or WebP/AVIF if you're optimizing for the web).

Does it need transparency? If yes, keep it as PNG. JPG doesn't support transparency. Converting a PNG with a transparent background to JPG fills the transparent areas with solid white. If you need the transparency, don't convert.

If the answer is "it's a photo" and "no transparency needed," convert to JPG. You'll save 80-90% of the file size with no visible quality difference.

Here are common situations where PNG to JPG makes sense:

• Photos from a scanner. Many scanners default to PNG. The resulting files are huge. Convert to JPG and save 90% of the storage.
• Photos from a screenshot tool. If you screenshotted a photo (from a website, presentation, or video), the screenshot is PNG. The photo content is better served as JPG.
• Photos from design software. Some tools export everything as PNG. If the image is a photo, switch to JPG.
• Photos for email. Email attachments have size limits. Converting PNG photos to JPG usually gets you under the limit.
• Photos for social media. Platforms re-compress everything anyway. Starting with a reasonably sized JPG gives more predictable results than uploading a massive PNG.

How Do You Convert PNG to JPG?

ConvertIMG converts PNG to JPG right in your browser. Drop your files in, select JPG, choose a quality level, and download. Everything happens on your device. No files are sent to a server.

The quality slider is where you control the trade-off between file size and image quality. Here's what each range gives you:

95-100%: Nearly identical to PNG. Files are smaller but still large. Use this only when quality is absolutely critical. Most people can't tell the difference between 95% and the original PNG.

80-90%: The recommended range for most uses. Quality looks great. Files are 80-90% smaller than PNG. This is where you should start.

60-75%: Noticeable compression, but fine for thumbnails, small images, and casual sharing. Files are very small.

Below 60%: Visible quality loss. Blocky artifacts appear. Only use this for very small thumbnails or when file size is more important than looks.

Start at 85%. If the result looks good, you're done. If you need smaller files, drop to 80%. If you need better quality, go to 90%.

What Happens to Transparency When You Convert?

JPG does not support transparency. Period. There's no workaround.

When you convert a PNG with transparent areas to JPG, those areas become solid. Most converters fill them with white. Some fill with black. Either way, the transparency is gone.

This matters for:

• Logos designed to sit on different colored backgrounds
• Product photos with removed backgrounds
• Stickers, overlays, and watermarks meant to float on top of other content

If your PNG uses transparency, don't convert to JPG. Instead, convert to WebP instead (supports transparency and small files) or keep it as PNG. For the smallest possible transparent files, convert to AVIF. Not sure which format to pick? Read why WebP may be better for most web use cases.

If your PNG has a solid background (like a regular photo), there's no transparency to lose. Convert away.

What Metadata Gets Lost in the Conversion?

PNG and JPG handle metadata differently. Some data may change during conversion.

Color profile. PNG files sometimes embed ICC color profiles. Most converters preserve these when converting to JPG, but some strip them. If color accuracy matters, check the converted file.

Creation date and file info. The converted JPG will have a new creation date (the conversion time). The original file's dates are lost. If you need to preserve dates, note them before converting.

Text metadata. PNG supports embedded text chunks (like author name or description). These don't transfer to JPG. If this metadata matters, record it separately.

EXIF data. PNG files rarely contain EXIF data (camera settings, GPS location). JPG supports EXIF well. If you're converting screenshots of photos, the original EXIF data wasn't in the PNG anyway.

For most conversions, metadata loss doesn't matter. But if you're working with archival images or need to preserve specific metadata, be aware of these differences.

Should You Delete the PNG After Converting?

Keep it. Storage is cheap. Here's why:

You can't go back. Converting JPG back to PNG doesn't restore quality. The data JPG threw away is gone. If you ever need the full-quality version, you'll want the original PNG.

Future format needs. You might need to convert to WebP or AVIF later. Starting from PNG gives better results than starting from JPG.

Editing. If you need to edit the image in the future, start from the PNG. Each round of JPG editing degrades quality slightly.

A simple file structure: keep a folder of PNG originals and a folder of JPG exports. Use the JPGs for sharing and uploading. Keep the PNGs as your archive. You get the best of both worlds.

For more on choosing the right format for every situation, see our complete image format guide.

Ready to Convert Your PNGs to JPG?

Shrink your photo files in seconds. ConvertIMG converts PNG to JPG with your choice of quality settings. Free, private, batch support included. Drop your files in and download. Want even smaller results? Compress it further after converting.