Image Formats Explained

PNG

• Portable Network Graphics
PNG is a lossless image format that supports transparency and is perfect for graphics, logos, and images where you need crisp, clear details without compression artifacts.

**Best for:**

• Graphics with transparency

• Icons and logos

• Screenshots

• Web design elements

**Advantages:**

• Lossless compression

• Supports transparency

• Wide browser support

• No quality loss

**Disadvantages:**

• Larger file sizes than JPG

• Not ideal for photographs

• Can be slow to load on mobile

JPG

• Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPG is a lossy compression format ideal for photographs and realistic images. It achieves excellent compression by removing some image data.

**Best for:**

• Photographs

• Complex images with many colors

• Social media images

• Web galleries

**Advantages:**

• Small file sizes

• Great for photographs

• Wide compatibility

• Adjustable quality levels

**Disadvantages:**

• Quality loss from compression

• No transparency support

• Artifacts visible at low quality

WebP

• The Modern Format
WebP is Google's modern image format offering superior compression compared to JPG and PNG.

**Best for:**

• Web optimization

• Modern websites

• Progressive enhancement

**Advantages:**

• Better compression than JPG and PNG

• Supports transparency like PNG

• Smaller file sizes save bandwidth

• Modern browsers support

**Disadvantages:**

• Older browsers don't support it

• Requires fallbacks

• Adoption still growing

AVIF

• The Next Generation
AVIF is the newest format providing even better compression than WebP.

**Best for:**

• Future-proof websites

• Maximum compression

• High-quality images at small sizes

**Advantages:**

• Best-in-class compression

• Supports both lossy and lossless

• HDR support

**Disadvantages:**

• Limited browser support currently

• Slower to encode

• Requires more fallbacks

Conversion Tips

• Always provide fallbacks for modern formats

• Use conversion tools to test different formats

• Consider your audience's browser support

• Test file sizes and visual quality

• Use responsive images with srcset

Summary
Choose PNG for graphics and images needing transparency, JPG for photographs, WebP for modern web applications, and AVIF for cutting-edge optimization.