how to convert png to jpg (and when you should)

why convert png to jpg at all?

png is a lossless format, meaning it preserves every pixel of your image perfectly. jpg (also written as jpeg) uses lossy compression, which discards some image data to achieve much smaller file sizes. for photographs and complex images, the difference in file size can be dramatic while the visual quality difference is barely noticeable.

the most common reason to convert png to jpg is file size. a png photograph might be 3-4mb while the same image as jpg at 85% quality could be 300-500kb. that's a 6-10x reduction. for sharing photos by email, uploading to social media, or publishing on a website, this makes a real difference.

another reason is compatibility. some older platforms, services, or devices handle jpg more reliably than png for photographs, though this is less of an issue in 2026 than it used to be.

what you lose when you convert

converting png to jpg isn't free. there are two important things you give up.

transparency is gone. png supports transparent backgrounds. jpg does not. if your png has a transparent background (like a logo or icon), converting to jpg will fill that transparency with white (or another solid color depending on the tool). if your image uses transparency, jpg is probably not the right destination format. consider webp instead, which supports both transparency and small file sizes.

lossless quality becomes lossy. once you save as jpg, some image data is permanently discarded. if you then convert back to png, you get a lossless file of a lossy image. you can't recover the original quality. this is why you should always keep your original png files and only convert copies.

for photographs, neither of these losses usually matters in practice. most photos don't have transparent backgrounds, and the quality difference at 80%+ jpg quality is genuinely hard to see.

when png to jpg makes sense

when you should NOT convert

logos, icons, and graphics. images with flat colors, sharp edges, or text look worse as jpg because lossy compression creates visible artifacts around high-contrast edges. a png logo with sharp lines will look noticeably worse as jpg. keep these as png or convert to webp instead.

images with transparent backgrounds. as mentioned above, transparency is lost. if the transparency matters, don't convert to jpg.

working files you'll edit again. if you're going to open and edit this image again, keep it as png. re-saving jpg files repeatedly compounds the quality loss each time.

screenshots of text or ui. the lossy compression in jpg makes text slightly blurry. screenshots should stay as png for maximum readability.

what quality setting should you use?

jpg quality is usually expressed as a percentage from 1 to 100. higher means better quality and larger file size.

how to convert png to jpg without uploading your files

most online converters require you to upload your images to their servers, which means your files are temporarily (or permanently) stored elsewhere. for personal photos or anything sensitive, this isn't ideal.

cozyconvert converts entirely in your browser using the canvas api. your images are processed locally and never sent anywhere. you get the convenience of an online tool with the privacy of doing it yourself.

you can convert up to 10 images at once, choose your quality level, and download them instantly. no account, no limits, no uploads.

png to jpg vs png to webp

if you're converting for web use, it's worth considering webp as an alternative to jpg. webp generally produces smaller files than jpg at equivalent quality, and it supports transparency unlike jpg. all modern browsers support webp as of 2026.

the main reason to still choose jpg is compatibility outside the browser. if your images need to work in email clients, older software, or print workflows, jpg is more universally supported. for web-only use cases, webp is worth considering.